The Tempest
by Partners-N-Crime
Summary: Being in debt is bad.  Being in debt to your rival... is worse.  Being in debt to Seto Kaiba... horrible! And Jounouchi Katsuya is about to find out just what it means to owe him.  Puppyshipping!  Revised and Complete!
1. Accidents Happen

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its spazztacular characters ._. wish I did though :D  
A/N (10/20/11)  
I'm working on revising this... fic, in hopes to get back into it and figure out how I want to wrap it up. Seeing as how I've drug it out for MUCH longer time period than intended, I figure it's time to get this bad boy finished. For those of you committed to the story, sorry I'm such a lazy ass... ._." One thing I've noticed...I was lazy when it came to possessive pronouns XD Geez! **

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Rain. Something said to cleanse the world as it fell; it washed away the dirt of the day and left everything clean and new. It served as a symbolic symbol for many things. It was also said to help clean peoples souls. Of course, it was also an omen of misfortune. Rain. Storms, and the calm before and after this particular wrath of nature. And as they said, after every storm a strong rainbow was sure to follow.

Jounouchi Katsuya was not one to really believe this. He'd lived through many storms, and on special occasions, a rainbow just might shine, but it wasn't often it's wonderful hues and spectrum of colors would shine through his day. He felt this was another one of those times as he sat on one of the old park benches in Domino. The grey, overcast cloudy sky above him raged as lightning thrashed though the sky, lighting up the dark surroundings. The roar of thunder sounded mere seconds later, causing Jounouchi to jump at the sudden bellow. He calmed his thumping heart as another flash lit up the shady park. People bustled along on the crowded sidewalks across from Jounouchi. Many business men and women without umbrellas scurried around, rushing past each other, today's morning paper forced upon there heads in effort to keep dry. Jounouchi flipped his head to the side as his hair began to get in his way of sight. Longer and more untamed bangs came at a big disadvantage when it rained.

Another clash of lightning and roaring thunder alerted Jounouchi to his senses once more. Cars seemed to speed up as did people as the storm appeared to be getting worse. A young couple passed by, holding and umbrella high above there heads, the girl snuggled in close to the boy's chest as the slightest bit of blush was caressed across his cheeks, only visible when the lightning would light up the sky again. Jounouchi watched in awe as the girl gripped tighter to the boy's uniform as the thunder sounded again. Before Jounouchi could witness the boy's reaction, the couple disappeared with the rest of the passing crowd, his vision being blocked by park holly bushes. Jounouchi leaned back in his seat, not wanting to see that painful scene again. The scene of love. He cursed under his breath for even thinking of such a word. Love. Did it even really exist out there? He wasn't sure himself. He sure didn't get it at home, if it was. His dad was one of the reasons he was out here right now, in the pouring rain. His dad was a cause for this storm. His mother didn't show affection either. If she did, she wouldn't have torn away Shizuka from him and left him with the old drunk.

"_Shizuka…"_ Jounouchi thought, his heart tugging at his chest.

If anybody had ever shown him love, it was her. Despite them being apart for years, he still cared deeply for his little sister. He knew the feeling was mutual between them. That in itself made him happy. He couldn't help but smile a bit. He knew…he could count on her, no matter what. He wasn't sure about anyone else in this God forsaken world, but he knew Shizuka would always have his back. Jounouchi thought quietly…a thought he'd forbidden himself to think a long time ago…that he would like to…just once…experience something more…then sibling and friendship love. He wanted something intimate. He mentally slapped himself for thinking the idea. It was a stupid thought. He knew. …He also…just didn't want to get his hopes up.

The rain continued to fall, harder now, as Jounouchi leaned back on the bench, his back bending so his head was hanging off the edge of the old wooden bench. It creaked as he shifted his weight to a more comfortable position. It was his luck, of course. Getting kicked out again for no apparent reason and it had to rain. He sighed, not believing his luck. Shielding his eyes from the falling rain drops he continued to look up at the swirling madness above him. The dark clouds seemed almost angry; it made Jounouchi feel that nature was just reflecting the acts of humans. Most people these days were angry about something. It didn't matter what. Just an excuse to argue or complain seemed to fill their life with whatever it is they received from this immaturity. Just the thought of it made him grimace. He tried his hardest to not give into emotions like that so easily. Anger for him was hard to resist at times, but hey, at least he tried. What if this storm really was reflecting on his emtions…? Just the idea made him laugh. Yeah right. He knew he had a lot of emotions swirling inside him, but he'd at least thought none of them were exactly…angry or evil. Besides, a storm was just a storm…right?

The cold night wind blew through, chilling Jounouchi to the bone. He leaned up and hugged himself tightly, trying his best to stay warm. And he had damn school tomorrow to. He sighed angrily under his breath. He loved his old man to death…despite everything they'd been through…but…Jounouchi sighed, afraid to even continue that thought. He knew where it would lead to, and it was a thought he never really liked to think about. Besides, Pops would forget about it in about a day. Until then, he could just crash here. He considered going over to Yugi's or Honda's momentarily, but that idea soon faded. He didn't want to be a burden on his friend's; especially since they were all to kind hearted to turn him down, no matter the circumstance. Jou shook his head, sending excess water droplets in all different directions.

"_What time is it…?"_ He questioned silently, pulling back his jacket and revealing his bare wrist.

"_Time to get a damn watch I guess…"_ He pulled his jacket sleeve over the bare skin angrily, and began hugging himself again. He leaned back once more, gripping his jacket tighter around himself. He heard the sound of footsteps approach him and slowly distance himself from him. He looked up momentarily, just in time to get a glimpse of the snare plastered on a passing business man's face. Jou returned the look with gratitude.

"Damn rich bastards…" He cursed under his breath before leaning back and closing his eyes. "If they only knew…"

The rain raged on harder, not making any intention of residing anytime soon. Jou's face began to sting after being pelted again and again and again. He ignored it and turned his head sideways to the left, attempting to give most of his face a rest from the assault. He should be getting some sleep. Who cared what the people passing by thought. Let them think whatever pleased those sick pleasures they had. Jou was at his limits and needed sleep. Of course, the pelting rain, intense lightning, and snarling thunder wasn't exactly a bedtime lullaby. He'd have rather listened to one of those singing battery operated toys that sounded evil and demented as there battery life was being sucked away with every use. He laughed quietly, remembering the time he was in the store and a motion activated on came on, singing in a low, prolonged voice. It scared the crap out of him, and he never once returned to that aisle.

As another flash of lightning took over the sky, the thunder took several seconds to answer. Even the rain seemed to be residing. It was a now or never chance to fall asleep. Jou shifted his weight once more before he was finally comfortable enough he'd be able to sleep. You could tell a lot about a person if you just knew there sleeping habits. For example, some people try to clear there mind to go to sleep. Some people counted sheep…although Jou had no idea why. Why sheep? To him, it made no sense. Others made to do lists in their head. Jou knew only rich, or work-a-holic type people did this. Or those who were just overly responsible and lived to please. Jou had his own way of falling asleep. Although he kind of liked his accent he had, others didn't. He was constantly facing upturned noses everywhere he went; his accent was just not accepted like he wanted it to. After finally getting fed up with it all, Jou decided he's work on changing it. So every night before falling asleep, he'd work on "proper" speech and prounciations. He still wasn't perfect, but it was definitely improving. besides, what could be more boring then trying to say your words correctly? Just the thought made Jou sleepy. But, just by his habits of falling asleep like that, it showed that he was a hard worker, and though he didn't like to admit it, he wanted to be accepted…praised…loved… and he was willing to give it his all to change so that would happen.

"_Maybe Pops' right…Maybe if I was a bit more…useful, things wouldn't be like dis." _In Jounouchi's mind, it was the only thing that seemed to make sense. Sure, his dad didn't exactly help earn money or anything, but…his dad sure seemed to act like he knew what he was talking about, whenever he'd called Jou useless. Jou's grip tightned on his shirt, his knuckles turning white. He'd been doing all he could for that man! He's been slaving his ass off for as long as he could remember, trying to please the drunkard, but it was never enough…never enough. The urge to cry found its way into Jou's mind, but he shoved it away. No way he'd cry over something like this. He refused to cry. It was a sign of weakness. His dad was right…he was a sad excuse for a man. Even if that was the case, he failed to see how Shizuka and his mom leaving was his fault. Whenever his dad told him this, rage seeped through Jou's body. In fact, that's why he left tonight in the first place. Come to think of it…his dad hadn't really kicked him out, he'd just left. Of course, his dad wasn't complaining. He was to busy complaining about other things, like how the floors were filthy, the food sucked, the place smelled, and countless other issues Jounouchi'd worked hard to fix. It was never enough. Never enough.

The rain's intensity had softened a bit and moved now onto more of a drizzle. Jou was soaked to the bone, the cold night breeze making him even more miserable. …He could go back to that forsaken apartment…but he wasn't that desperate, not yet. He found himself shutting his eyes tighter, trying to concentrate on working on his speech.

"_Da dog ran widly around da 'ree…" _Jou knew that was totally wrong. He sighed and tried again. _"D-…T-The dog ran wildly around d-the t-tree."_ He managed to stumble through, pleased that he'd gotten it on the second try. He quickly racked his mind for another sentence with a lot of "the's" and any other "t" word. He seemed to be struggling with those the most. Another sentence hit him. He was getting ready to try it when a cold voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Well, look what the cat drug in. Little mutt gone stray again?" a familiar voice filled with malice sneered.

"_Great. Just what I needed. I hate my luck."_

"Buzz of Kaiba, I don't wanna here or see yer ugly face around here right now." Jou snapped, opening an eye momentarily, just to confirm it was Seto Kaiba standing in front of him. And it sure as hell was. He was wearing that same, cold grimace he gave everyone. His eyes pierced through Jou, making him feel the slightly nervous. His mouth was in its usual place, a thin line in the place normal mouths were, his hair and body were perfectly dry.

"_Lucky bastard…Probably 'cause of that thing."_ Jou thought with acid as he eyed Kaiba's umbrella. His white coat was completely clean; his tight dark pants were as well, not a stain to be found. Jou found himself feeling a bit intimated by this since he was sitting here soaked, and wearing his dirty school uniform.

"Did someone rub the mutts fur the wrong way today or something?" Kaiba taunted with a satisfied smirk.

"Oh God, not only are you makin' me sit here and listen to ya talk, but yer makin' stupid puns and animals jokes to? Wow…Dis is torture." Jou retorted, feeling a bit satisfied with my comeback.

"I'm not forcing you to sit here, mutt."

"O, really? Funny, 'cause I strangely remember bein' here first AND snoozin' on top of that." Jou knew that last part was a lie, but hey, if it made the guy leave him alone, that was all he was asking for.

"Can't the stray just go back to his cardboard box? Or is he forced to sleep in the rain?"

"Ya know, yer reallllly startin' tah piss me off." Jou snapped, standing up abruptly to face Kaiba; his fists were clenched and hung loosely next to his body. They were ready though in case he needed them. A sudden clap of thunder made both Jou and the young CEO jump as rain came down in a wave, forcing Jou to hold his bangs up with his hand.

"Is you standing up supposed to frighten me?" Kaiba asked simply. Jounouchi gave no answer and instead just sneered. He wasn't in the mood to put up with Kaiba's crap. After a moments silence, Jou's stomach began making noices, complaining loudly. Kaiba looked half amused as Jou tried to hide it with a cough.

"Gah, screw you Kaiba. I got better things to do with my time then stand here talkin' to you." With that said, Jou made a turn back to his bench. Kaiba's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"You're obviously not busy. And I doubt your actually going to feed yourself." He let out an prolonged sigh before continuing. "I'm usually not one to make these kinds of offers, but seeing as you're obviously going to kill yourself living like this I don't think I have a choice. I don't want to get called out for murder."  
Jou scoffed dryly. Kaibe continued regardless.

"There's a coffee shop just down this street. I was heading there anyway. I'll treat you to something."

Jou had to admit it came to a shock to him... that this guy was actually being half way nice in his own…mean little way. Without making an effort to even face the dry CEO, Jou answered,

"Not interested."

"You're stomach says otherwise."

"Yeah? Well my stomach doesn't have a mouth does it?"

"…What kind of stupid comeback was that? It didn't even make sense mutt."

"Y-you know what Kaiba? Just-" Jou turned around abruptly and faced the brunette, and noticed something odd. The brunette actually had a smile on his face. It was of course filled with malice, but it was, indeed a smile. Jou grimaced. He was _enjoying_ tormenting him? Finally, after a moments silence, Jou's stomach made another angry complaint as it grumbled loudly. It started to contort in pain, doubling Jounouchi over. Kaiba watched with raised eyebrows. Jounouchi glared at him from below.

"I don't need yer charity."

"Just take up the damn offer before you end up killing yourself." Kaiba snapped automatically after, as if he predicted what Jou was going to say. Jou opened his mouth to argue but all that came out was a groan of hunger. He glared up once more at a statisfied Kaiba before saying;

"Alright, fine, you win. Dammit."

"Good choice mutt. You better be happy. I don't share scraps with every stray I find on the street." Kaiba said with his usual little smirk.

"Again with the _animal_ jokes and puns." Jou sighed. He noticed that the rain had once again lightened; the lightning and thunder were now all but a memory as the rain slacked off even more into a small drizzle.

"Alright mutt, let's go then. Your only getting wetter." He scoffed. "Maybe we shouldn't go in. You'll probably stink the place up with wet dog smell."

"Kaiba, if anyone was going to stink a place up, it'd be you."

"Oh really, how so mutt?"

"Dat stench of money and "I'm better than you, bow to me mere peasant" is enough to clear out a whole room." Jou replied with a simper. "I dink it's called... da stench of arrogance." Kaiba recoiled with a glare.

"You want the damn food or not? If you do, then I suggest you tread lightly. Now come on." Kaiba began walking away, towards the park entrance. Jounouchi thrust his hands into his pockets before following mumbling complaints the whole way. Jounouchi made his way onto the cracked sidewalk that ran along side the city streets. Kaiba walked a few strides in front of him, his umbrella resting on his shoulder, while his briefcase was in his other hand. Jou sighed with a smirk. Was that briefcase glued to his hand or something? Or maybe he had it surgically attached. Hell, for all Jounouchi knew, Seto Kaiba was an alien from the planet "Briefcase Bitches"…After a minute, Jounouchi decided that 1.) He sucked at not only comebacks, but naming things for jokes as well, and 2.) …Briefcase Bitches sounded more like a strip joint for trust fund geeks than a planet.

"You coming mutt?"

"Yeah yeah I'm comin' ya prick."

"Good mutt, 'cause we're here." Jou looked up, and used one of his hands to shield his face from the little coffee shops bright lights. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust. Jou relized it wasn't anything fancy, just a small little shop that probably sold pastries and…well…coffee. Jou could see the glass counter inside that held the sweet sweets, while behind the counter were people scurrying around, fixing all the different kinds of coffee that was offered. Small tables set for two lined the walls, while tables for groups sat in the middle. Lighting dangled down on chains, hovering above the small tables. The walls were plastered with faded flower wall paper, a setting sun in the background, and many trees surrounding the scenery.

"Are we going to go in or are you just going to ogle at it all night like an idiot?" Kaiba snapped Jounouchi back into reality. He gave Kaiba a cheesy grin before walking into the café, almost being blown over by the assorted smells and such. His stomach let out a moan of pleasure as it was assured Jou would get him something here and that it wasn't just wordless torture. Kaiba followed in after him and stood quietly beside Jounouchi. Jounouchi shook his head rapidly, water droplets flying off in different directions, some hitting Kaiba. Jounouchi shook his head some more and wrung out his soaked clothes before finally pleased with himself. Kaiba glared down at him as he wiped off droplets of water that had landed on his face. Jou gave him the most innocent smile he could, trying to hide the malice best he could. The people behind the counter gave disapproving glances at Jou as they noticed the puddle underneath his feet. They somehow knew as soon as this boy sat down, they'd be placing a "Caution: Floor May Be Slippery" sign when he was out of the way. The janitor sure wasn't going to need water to mop tonight. Kaiba pointed up to the back chalk board hanging above the counter and cash register. It was a menu holding, what seemed to Jou, over a billion different combinations. They had a range of everything bitter, to sweet, to spicy, to salty. Jou began to drool at just the thought of it. Kaiba sighed heavily.

"Pick something out already, I don't care the price, just get something."

Jou glared up at him out of the corner of his eye.

"_Course ya don't care. When yer rich why should ya? Geez…I wish _I_ could live that kinda life…"_ It was after that Jou deicded to pick the most expensive things on the menu, just to give Kaiba grief. Jou didn't even look at what he was getting. He just saw the prices.

"'Kay Kaiba, I want that 'nd that." Jou pointed up to things on the menu. Kaiba seemed to have caught on to his little plan as he smirked.

"Really now? Are you sure?"

"'Course I'm sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"Suit yourself." Kaiba walked up to the counter and placed there orders.

"A number 5 and 13 for him, and for me, I just want my usual."

"'_Course Seto Kaiba has a usual. Geez, this guys too rich for his britches, bein' able to eat here all the time."_ Jou reflected as he glanced up at the menu once more. He could never afford even one of there Bottled Sparklingly Fiji Water with what he made now (which was all they had in the water department mind you). Kaiba finished quickly and paid the people upfront. While he waited, Jounouchi walked over to one of the paintings in the café. It wasn't a very big painting, but that wasn't what mattered. It was actually quite pretty. The details the author put into the ocean…the sky…the plants and mountains…it was astounding to Jounouchi. The way the waves looked as though they could just roll off the painting, the mountains looked as frigid and barren as they did in real photos. This was definitely a painting Jou thought deserved to be framed. …Which it was.

"R.W.R? 1/25/01" Jou squinted to read the signature in the bottom right hand corner of the painting. Whoever this R.W.R was, he was good. Jou secretly was interested in arts…he wished at that moment he could meet this man…or woman. It could have been either for all Jou knew.

"Come on and sit down. Our orders will be ready in a minute." The cool voice of Seto Kaiba said over his shoulder. Jou jumped a bit as he was shaken back into reality. He turned to face the brunette, who had already walked off and sat a table opposite the giant window that looked out onto the street. Not only was Seto Kaiba a grumpy person, he was quite unsociable. Jou shrugged and sat down across from him nevertheless. Kaiba didn't make eye contact for quite sometime…only after he became freaked out by Jounouchi's staring.

"What." He said, rather than asked.

"Nothin'."

"Well then stop staring at me mutt, your getting food, so leave me alone."

Jou didn't reply and instead stared down at his hands instead. He didn't _mean_ to stare at Kaiba, it was just, a habit he seemed to have. A habit of zoning out when he was tired, and his eyes had just so happened to rest on Seto Kaiba. Jounouchi praised the Lord as he saw there food coming. As his order was placed in front of him he turned his nose up at it.

"What the hell's this?"

"What you ordered, idiot." Kaiba said with a smirk as he sipped his black coffee.

"I-…Your not joking are you." Kaiba shook his head no. Jou gluped.

"So…what exactly…is…this?" He asked, poking it with a fork.

"I'm pretty sure _that,_" he motioned towards my dessert. "Is bean filled pie. I've heard it's not bad once you try it out."

Jou found it…unappetizing.

"And my drink…?" Jounouchi asked as he took a sip.

"I believe it's Kopi Luwak."

Jou nearly spit out his drink.

"W-wait wait wait wait! isn't that like, the most expensive coffee crap out there? And what's with that **name**?"

Kaiba shrugged.

"L-Like they'd have that here!" Jou yelled slamming down his drink, receiving weird glances from around the room. Again, Kaiba merely shrugged.

"Why else do you think the bill was so expensive, idiot?"

Jou squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. Was he actually feeling guilty about?…Nahhhh…

Jou silently finished his cup o' joe. The taste was…alright. He wasn't addicted to the stuff like Kaiba so obviously was. Kaiba had already finished off his cup and was looking off into the distance. Jou had just now began to pick at his food. After taking his first bite, Kaiba turned towards him.

"So why were you out in the rain in the first place?"

Jou swallowed and held his sigh in best he could. He'd been expecting this question all night long.

"No reason." He replied, taking in another bite. Kaiba looked suspicious.

"I don't believe it. What would possess you to sit out in the rain anyway?"

Jou swallowed and shrugged.

"No reason."

Kaiba's fists clenched slightly as he struggled to keep his anger under control. Why was he being so…stubborn? Kaiba struggled to keep his cool as his fingers traced the ides of his empty coffee mug.

"Fine, I wasn't really interested anyway." Kaiba snapped and looked away.

"_Idiot."_ He cursed at himself. _"Now he never will tell you if anything's wrong."_ Kaiba found himself glancing over at the eating teen. He looked unphased, as if the rude remark he'd received from Kaiba didn't really bother him. Kaiba didn't say another word the rest of the meal. When Jou had finally finished he let out a quiet burp and rubbed his belly. It wasn't exactly full, but it would have to do.

"Thanks fer ta food Kaiba."

"Yeah." Was his only reply.

After another one of there awkward, silent moments, Jou stood up for a nice stretch.

"Ahh…that feels good." He stretched some more before finally standing in a straight posture. "I guess I'll be off then, seeya Kaiba. School tomorrow right?" With that said, Jou made his way towards the door, just now noticing for the first time that the pattering of rain had stopped.

"What are you talking about mutt? Tomorrow's Saturday." Kaiba's voice called after him. Jounouchi stopped in his tracks. If that was true then…he'd have to go back home. He found Kaiba standing beside him now.

"I'll drop you off by your home if you want."

Jou looked up at the brunette with suspicion.

"Why're you bein' so nice ta me all'a sudden?" the blonde asked, his eyes narrowed. Kaiba merely shrugged. "_Great answer, nimrod."_

"Nah, it's fine." Jou shrugged him off and started towards the door. "I'm not going home yet anyway."

"Off to spend more time with the pigeons in the park I'm guessing?"

"Shaddup. Besides, it's night. How many pigeons come out at night?

"How many mutts don't know how to shut up and be thankful after they've been fed?"

It was a good thing no one else was really in the café at the time. The only people other than Seto and Katsuya themselves was a loner man over in the corner of the room, and a younger woman who was typing away at her laptop. Both seemed distant from the world.

Seto's eyes narrowed, as did Jounouchi's.

"Whatever mutt. Good bye." Without another word, Kaiba left storming out the building.

"Geez…rich boys time a month ain't it?" Jou chuckled at his own joke and went back to their table to see two things.

1. His jacket was on the floor. Lovely.

2. Seto Kaiba's notorious briefcase was left behind. ...Even lovelier.

...Shit.

Jou, by instinct, grabbed the briefcase and made a mad dash after Kaiba. Even though the rain had stopped, the traffic hadn't and the streets and sidewalks were as crowded as ever. Jou jumped up once or twice to see the young CEO a good ways in front of him, talking away on his cell phone. Jou pushed himself through the crowd, briefcase in hand, and quickly made his way towards Kaiba. He ran as fast as he could, water getting splashed onto his back as he ran through puddles. He felt his feet slip around every once in awhile but now was not the time to fall. He chased after Kaiba finally catching up with him at a crosswalk.

"KAIBA!" Jou yelled in between breaths as he sprinted towards the brunette. Kaiba looked over, his eyes widened.

"JOUNOUCHI LOOK OUT!" and that was all Jou could hear. He felt his feet fly out from underneath him and his face hit cold wet concrete. The briefcase fell out of his hand, but his head hurt to bad to look up to see where it had landed. The dramatic screech in car breaks had gave him a pretty good idea. Then…the sound of crushed plastic and metal.

Jounouchi looked up in horror, a crowd of people blocked his view of Kaiba. Was he alright? Or was he…

Curiosity won over pain as Jou forced himself up. He staggered over to the crowd, his ankle screaming the whole way. He leaned over an eldery man and gasped in horror. Kaiba was standing at the front of the crowd. The crosswalk signs flashed green for go, but no one dared move. In the middle of the cross walk lay the broken reminants of a briefcase…a pricelss laptop inside. Seto Kaiba's laptop. Jounouchi gulped. He knew this was going to end up bad. Horrible was a better word. No one dared make a move and pretty soon, the little block was mobbed with terrified people. Jou pushed his way through the crowd and lightly put his hand on Kaiba's shoulder.

"K-Kaiba, I'm really-" Jou stopped as he was flashed one of Kaiba's evil glares. Jou gulped, and could swear he felt his heart stop beating. Kaibe was going to have a conniption. Jou was surprised to see there was no wreck. Apparently whoever hit it drove on as they usually would. It was probably better that way though... it definitely caused less a commotion. What was even more surprising is that Kaiba's familiar looking limo had drove up quickly and parked illegally, half on the sidewalk, half on the cross walk. Many people waiting to cross backed away.

"Get in." Kaiba spat.

"Wh-what?"

"I said get in." He stated again, shoving Jou forward. Before he could do anything, he found himself inside the cushioned limo of Seto Kaiba's. The thing even smelled like him for God's sake! Kaiba got in shortly after and sat beside Jou. As soon as the door was slammed the gas petal was slammed to the floor and they were out of there in no seconds flat. Kaiba held the reminants of his brief case in his hand and glowered at Jou.

"K-Kaiba i-"

"Save it mutt. You'll get your punishment soon enough."

Jou shut up quickly after and gulped as he turned towards his window. He watched as they speeded away, all the cities lights and colors mixing into one colorful blur. Deep down, Jounouchi could feel another storm arising...and he sure as hell didn't see a rainbow.

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**A/N: **Hello there people reading this : ) I hope you liked this first chapter of my first yaoi...and first puppyshipping story : ) Now that you've read it (I think you did anyway) please review and tell me what you think!

**(phew. That was a long revision. I'm sure I missed things as well. Joy. I despise proofreading my own shit. Alright, alright, enough complaints. I shall try and revise the rest as quickly as possible, and maybe this story will finally have it's end. And Jou will have that rainbow .w.)**


	2. Grin and Bare It

**A/N: **For those of you asking, yes, tempest is a weather term ^^ Its usually refered to out of control or "wilder" storms. ^w^

**Disclaimer:** ... Something almost all stories have in common: The disclaimer. *sighs* . I dont own or claim to own YGO. And that's all I'm gonna say, because...well..disclaimers are boring and nobody reads them anyway. (watch me get thrown off this website now for not having a proper disclaimer!)

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~Chapter 2: Grin and Bare It.

"Kaiba, where are we going?"

"Shut up mutt. You weren't given permission to speak."

Jounouchi glowered at the man next to him. This was like…kidnapping! Or, in his case it seemed more like "puppy-snatching". The blonde crossed his arms and slumped down angrily in his seat, averting his eyes away from Kaiba. Kaiba noticed this action but ignored it. Let him be that way. Kaiba wasn't in the mood to talk right now. He struggled to keep his anger under control. Unfortunately, the sight of his broken brief case in his lap just made his blood boil.

"Kaiba-sama," the limo's driver looked back at Kaiba through the review mirror. "To Kaiba Corp, correct? You're coffee break is over after-"

"I'm afraid we're going to be taking a quick detour home. I have business to attend to."

Kaiba sneered and rapped his knuckles against the arm rest of the car. Jou sat sulking. So he was being kidnapped _and_ taken to Rich Boy's mansion? Well this was just turning out to be a _great_ day.

"I wanna go home."

"I can't allow that right now. You're indebted to me now…mutt." Kaiba ranted, not even bothering to look at the sulking blonde.

"I…dammit…" The blonde didn't have a comeback… After a moments thought and silence, Kaiba's words hit him full on.

Jounouchi Katsuya was in debt…to his arch rival... Kaiba Seto. Jou's whole body froze at the thought of it. He was in utter and complete shock…or was this feeling fear…he was so traumatized he couldn't tell. Kaiba felt him tense up and for the first real time, he actually looked down at Jou.

"What?"

"N-Nothin'. Nothin' at all."

Kaiba grimaced but left it at that, not pushing any further in the conversation. Silence once again followed. Jou hardly even noticed. His thoughts were on overdrive as they raced from different subjects in mere seconds.

"_What am I gonna do? I don't have money! Every cent I've ever earned, Pops' found a way to rob me of it! The last bit I had this week was my birthday money from last year and it went into this months rent! How can I possibly pay this guy back? I'm in deep shit. That's all I can say. Maybe I can cut him a deal…Hah, like he'd ever be up for that. This guy'll be glad to suck every cent I have into his sweaty money hungry palms. 'Course he won't get much. I guess I'll end up givin' all I can give. Damn…I wish this was all a dream."_

"You might as well be thinking out loud mutt." Kaiba said with a sneer. Jou's head shot up in embarrassment.

"What?"

"It's obvious to tell what you're thinking about." Kaiba answered simply, once again turning away from the blonde. "Your face is like a book." Jou gritted his teeth.

"It is not! I can hide my emotions if I want to! Hell, you don't know anythin' 'bout me!"

Jou sat up and turned his head towards the window once more, a scowl embedded in his face. Kaiba was surprised by his outburst, and didn't know what a proper response to that would be. He turned his head to his lap in concentration, but still couldn't think of an answer. He finally decided on something that sounded half-way proper and turned towards Jounouchi, preparing to say it.

"Jounouchi, I-"

"Kaiba-sama." The driver interrupted as he slammed down on the breaks. "We have arrived." Kaiba abruptly forgot about Jou's outburst and instead turned, opened his door and stepped out of the car, slamming the door once he was out.

" 'Ey! What about me?" Jou's livid muffled voice yelled from inside the car as he banged angrily on the windows. Kaiba gritted his teeth as he walked over and opened the door for Jou, pulling him out by the collar of his jacket. Jou's knees fell to the ground, his face thrust upwards, just inches away from Kaiba's glaring eyes.

"Don't claw at the windows mutt. You got finger prints everywhere." He spat, tossing Jou to the ground and walking over to slam his door shut as well. Jou angrily picked himself off the ground and dusted himself out, his blood boiling angrily.

"That may be! But ya didn't hafta throw me onto the ground ya bastard." Jou lifted his fists up threateningly. Kaiba merely looked away.

"Whatever mutt."

He held onto his briefcase and seemed to look up at the sky, deep in thought. Clouds raged around the Kaiba mansion, and off in the distance, Kaiba saw lightning flash. It was far enough away no thunder was heard to follow but it was obvious another storm was coming.

"Hurry up and get inside. I don't want you smelling like wet dog if it rains again."

With that said, Kaiba hurried quickly into his mansion, leaving Jou with no other choice than to follow. Once inside Jou fell speechless. This mansion was everything he'd ever dreamed of and more. He glared over at the CEO who seemed to take this for granted. He watched as Kaiba left through a room that looked like the kitchen. Jou followed more slowly as he tried to take in the mansion all at once. Kaiba poked his head back around the threshold of the room and sighed.

"Mutt, take of your shoes. You'll dirty the house."

Jou stopped in his tracks and then came to his senses.

"O-Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that." He smiled innocently and walked back over to the entrance, kicking off his wet shoes. His socks were soaked through as well, so he didn't see the difference in just taking off his shoes. His socks were just as bad. He shrugged and walked onto the wood floor anyway.

"Woooah." Jou mumbled as he caught his balance after slipping on the wood floor. His ankle already hurt enough from earlier, he defiantly didn't need to fall again. He balanced himself out and then walked in the room Kaiba had entered.

The kitchen. Was. **HUGE**. Jou couldn't believe his eyes. This guy actually **LIVED** like this? Hell, this kitchen was as big, if not bigger, than Jou's apartment. He gulped, suddenly feeling kind of intimated by it all. He noticed Kaiba had taken off his overcoat and hung it over one of his kitchen chairs, his briefcase lay solo on the table, the broken parts of it piled up next to it. Kaiba was leaning against the nearest counter top glaring at his busted case. Jou felt he was about to suffocate in this deadly atmosphere that he was, unfortunately, the cause of. Kaiba shut his eyes and began to speak.

"Now, let's ge-"

"Seto…Nii-sama…? Is that you…?" A tired voice murmured, followed by the thump of footsteps down a nearby stairs. Mokuba appeared in the kitchen, clothed in his pajamas, sleepily rubbing his tired eyes.

"Welcome home Seto…" Mokuba yawned, not noticing the blonde in the threshold yet. "I thought you were only working until 12 tonight…? It's already 2:30… What happened…?" Mokuba continued to ask, even though it was apparent he didn't really care and just wanted to go back to sleep.

"I was supposed to be back from working, Mokuba, by 12 but…unfortunately, a minor conflict has occurred." He paused a moment. "Two have actually. Go on back to bed; I can settle things easily." Jou's left eyebrow cocked. _There was another reason...? _He was certain he didn't count as two mishaps in the young CEO's day...There had to be something else. Unfortunately, the blonde didn't have the courage to ask.

Mokuba merely nodded and began to turn back towards the stairs, until his eye caught a certain silent blonde.

"…Huh…?" Mokuba asked, rubbing his eyes hard and then staring strangely at Jou. "…Am I dreaming? No way Jounouchi's here. Right Nii-sama?" Mokuba pinched his arm lightly then turned back to his brother.

"Ow!"

Seto smiled and walked over to ruffle the boy's raven hair.

"No…you're not dreaming. The mutt really is here. He stuck his nose in some business he shouldn't have, but everything will turn out fine. Go on up Mokuba, I'll explain in the morning."

Mokuba looked like he could care less at the moment. The only thing on his mind right now was to get back up into his bed and fall asleep soundly again. He was in the middle of a nice dream at the time anyway.

"Alright Seto. G'night."

"It's technically morning, Mokuba."

Mokuba waved him away and let out another heavy yawn as he walked back upstairs. He sluggishly gripped the hand rail and pulled himself up the stairs, slowly dozing back off.

"G'night…err…Morning, Jounouchi." Mokuba managed to say before disappearing out of sight. Moments later, a loud crashing sound was heard along with the resonance of snores. Kaiba sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Good kid, I think he's tired though. I bet he didn't even make it into his bed." Jou couldn't help but comment. Kaiba looked through his hands and gazed at him with a sigh.

"You're probably right… When was the last time you showered?"

"Eh?"

"Just answer the question mutt."

"Um…well…do you really wanna know the answer?" Jou replied sheepishly.

"…Probably not. Here, follow me. I'll show you our shower. I need to put Mokuba to bed anyway. Then, we'll get down to business." He finished the last of his speech with a sneer as he walked upstairs. Jou followed hesitantly, not sure if he was ready to face Kaiba's angry brief case wrath. As they turned the corner after the flight of stairs, Mokuba was seen sacked out on the floor, a mere few feet away from his room. The door was slightly ajar and the whole hallway, along with the rooms, was totally dark. Kaiba pointed down the hallway.

"Our bathrooms that way, last door on the right."

Jou merely nodded and stepped quietly over Mokuba; he tip-toed the rest of the way down the hall. He fumbled his way down the long stretch hallway and tripped into the room, catching himself from a face plant with the door's threshold. He caught his breath and waited for his heart to rise out of his stomach. Jou fingered around for a light switch and finally found…four. He raised an eyebrow and flipped all of them on. The bathroom lights lit up along with a very loud fan. He did a small inward scream as he fumbled to turn it off. He flipped each switch on and off at least once before settling that the third to last switch controlled the fan. After flipping that one down and the rest up Jou shut the door quietly and slumped to the floor in relief. He wiped away imaginary sweat before standing up and facing the bathroom. He nearly choked on his spit. He couldn't believe his eyes. Bathrooms were supposed to be small, cramped rooms with an occasional shower, not a whole other living space! Jou's jaw dropped as he examined the huge room that consisted of a shower, bath, toilet,... and five sinks. This just wasn't right...

Jou shook his jealousy away. He peeled off his socks and tossed them aside, letting his feet touch the cold marble floor. He shivered a bit as he continued to undress until he was only in boxers. He limped over to the shower and tried to turn it on. The water roared out, missing the tub completely and instead poured out onto the floor.

"OH FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!" Jou yelled loudly and turned and flipped knobs in an effort to shut the water off. He finally did the magic combination and the water shut off. Jou sighed and leaned up against the sinks. This was torture. He looked down at the water mess he made and sighed. Kaiba was going to kill him.

~o~o~o~o~

Kaiba slowly stroked sleeping Mokuba's hair as he lay him down in his bed. With all the noise Jou was making, he was surprised the kid was still asleep. Even after being scooped up by Kaiba and put in his bed, the boy hadn't moved. Kaiba sat on the foot of his bed another minute, just watching his peaceful brother's face as he slept. Kaiba gave his hair another stroke before he got up to leave. As he slowly began to shut the door, he heard Mokuba say something quietly in his sleep.

"Must…wait…for…Seto…Can't fall…asleep…" The raven haired boy tossed onto his side before silently snoozing again. Kaiba felt guilt tug at his heart. His brother had been waiting for him, thinking he'd have been home around regular time. Kaiba shut the door silently and leaned his back against it, silently cursing at himself. Mokuba was so tired because of him…He couldn't help but feel bad. It wasn't Jounouchi's fault he was late either really...He had planned on working overtime anyway. Another sleepless night wasn't going to kill him. Jounouchi's raging voice woke Kaiba from his depressed state.

"OH FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!"

Kaiba sighed and silently smiled. Jounouchi Katsuya…he was a strange one. A bit mentally challenged to…but definitely strange. Kaiba rocked himself to his feet and began to walk towards the bathroom, light seeping from under the door. He stood outside it for a moment his arms crossed in front of his chest. He heard Jou curse under his breath as he thumped around in the bathroom. Kaiba reached out and rapped a few times on the door.

"What?" Jou snapped.

"What do you mean "what"? This is my house. I'm the one who should be asking the questions."

Silence.

"Does the mutt need help or something?" Kaiba continued anyway.

Silence.

"…N-No." Jou finally answered.

"Like I'm going to believe that bullshit." Kaiba spat and placed his hand on the knob. "I'm coming in." He turned the knob before Jou could protest and let himself in. Jou stood a few feet in front of him in only his boxers (which were drenched) and a scowl on his face; he was breathing heavy, Kaiba guessed due to anger. He was holding one…no…two soaked towels. The floor underneath was sparkling clean…and damp... with mutiple scattered puddles. Another dog joke found it's way into his head, one dealing around not being "house broken" but he kept it to himself.

"I didn't say you could just barge in here, ya prick!" Jou yelled in an effort to cover his boxers up with the towels. Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"It's my house you know. Besides, you're making such a racket I'm surpirsed the city's still asleep."

Jou mumbled something else before speaking loudly again and throwing the towels down in discust. He could really care less right now. It _was_ a bit...awkward... and uncomfortable, to be standing half naked in the bathroom with your arch rival, but was it really any different than P.E?

"I hate your shower."

Kaiba didn't really hear him. He had to admit, his thoughts were elsewhere. And they weren't on making up stupid jokes either. Jou looked half attractive standing there, drenched in the water, and his tan muscular body seemed to attract Kaiba for some reason. A slight blush rose to Kaiba's cheeks after he realized what he'd just thought. He didn't even realize Jou was calling his name in annoyance.

"Oiiii! Kaiba?" Jou called walking closer to Kaiba and waving a hand in front of his unresponsive face. Kaiba came to his senses quicker than expected and slapped Jou's hand lightly.

"Get your paw out of my face."

Jou took a few steps back, an amused grin on his face.

"Well, excuse me." He turned his back on Kaiba and walked back over to the shower. He fell to his knees and fiddled with the knobs that worked the thing. He shook his hurt ankle lightly, determined not to let Kaiba notice.

Kaiba's eyes couldn't help but drift off…and he soon found himself staring at Jou's a-

"Hey Kaiba, mind helping me out?" Jou asked turning to face his rival. He gave him a confused look as he saw Kaiba had zoned out again. Jou glared at him. He'd teach Kaiba to zone out when HE was around. A mischievous grin spread across the blonde's face as he leaned over and grabbed one of his dirty socks. He took quick aim and chucked it at Kaiba's face. That'd teach him.

Kaiba found his thoughts being interrupted as his face was greeted by something cold, wet, and smelly. He instinctively threw the thing on his face away as far as he could before turning on a snickering Jounouchi. Actually, snickering was an understatement. Jou was doubled over in laughter at the sight of Kaiba getting a face full of his smelly sock.

"How's that for a wake up call, eh Kaiba?" Jou grinned and wiped away fake tears. Kaiba sneered and kicked Jou's shirt across the room. The dense wet shirt flew through the air and smacked Jou's face. After a moments pause, Jou had finally sunk in all that had just happened. He laughed and pulled it down, tossing it to the side.

"I guess I kinda deserved that one."

To Jou's surprise, Kaiba actually smiled back.

"Yes you did mutt." Kaiba walked past Jou and fixed the shower for him, explaining the not-so complex shower.

"See? It wasn't that hard, idiot." Kaiba said simply after standing back up. Jou looked transfixed at the knobs, and then finally looked back up at Kaiba.

"Yeah? I know, I was just testing' ya."

"Testing me? You think I wouldn't know how to work my own shower?"

"…"

"Give it up Jou, you suck at comebacks. End of statement." Kaiba turned on his heels and walked towards the bathroom exit. "Come downstairs when you're done, I'll let you borrow one of my shirts I guess, since those," he gestured towards Jou's school uniform. "Are filthy."

Jou crossed his arms.

"Nah they ain't."

Kaiba merely cocked his left eyebrow.

"…Okay, yeah they are."

Kaiba nodded in approval. "I'll have the maids wash them in the morning and get them back to you." Kaiba quickly gathered Jou's clothes, leaving his socks untouched.

"And after that," he glared, "we'll discuss your debt." Without another word, Kaiba shut the door soundlessly behind him.

Jou flipped him the bird before slipping his boxers off and stepping into the shower.

"Gah!" He yelled jumping out and falling to his ass due to the slick floor. His head flew backwards and hit the back of the showers wall. "Ow…That damned Kaiba…"He swore through gritted teeth as he rubbed his head. "He made it that cold on purpose."

What Jounouchi didn't know was that Kaiba had left the bathroom with a secret smirk that he kept all the way downstairs.

"That will teach the mutt to obey."

* * *

**A/N: Wow, I didn't expect to get 10 reviews on just the first chapter! I'm really happy I did though and that people are actually liking my story so far. I hope I can continue to make it interesting! Also, if there are some mistakes (grammer...spelling ect.) It's because I write these things at two in the morning and attempt to go back and edit them then as well. (Excuses, excuses, I know) I reread this chapter and tried to proofread it best I could. (After awhile I get tired of re-reading my own work...sad I know.) This time I proofread it at seven in the afternoon! So I hopefully didn't make to many mistakes this time. Oh and sorry for the long Author Notes (To those of you who actually read it!)**

**Who wants to torture Jou more? *evil grin* I DOOOOO~! X3 I'll try and cut the guy some slack...just a little. :3**


	3. Thoughts

**A/N: ...This chapter was a _bitch_ to write. Mistakes galore I'm sure. Also, I'm not good with converting dollars into yen, so to just make it all easier on everybody; I just kept it at dollars. I could _attempt _the yen thing, but I don't want to... Mistakes galore I tell you. Anyway, onto the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: -.- Don't own YGO or anything like that :/ if i did, i'd make sure to make EVERYONES HAIR REALLY WEIRD BECAUSE THE HAIR ON THERE IS JUST SO NORMAL! ...oh wait...Its alreaaaaaaady like that! ;D Nevermind then!**

**I kid, I kid. X3**

**Oh, and I did some editing on the last chapter, trying to patch up mistakes and such. Added in a little. Edited lots. I hate editing my own stuff .**

**Also! School's already starting up for me (I'm not sure about everyone out there...) but it actually started today. So...lack of updates might ensue. I have other stories to update other than this one so for people who like quick updates, I'm not sure how quick they'll be.**

**Sorry for the long author's note. Dx**

* * *

After fixing the water from ice, to lukewarm, to steaming, the falling water felt nice against Jounouchi's skin. He saw the steam rise off his body as he stood there in bliss. He lifted his head back and let all of the worries and thoughts plaguing his mind just wash away down the drain of Kaiba's shower.

That was right…Kaiba's shower. Seto. Kaiba's. Shower.

Jou had been so consumed in his moment of happiness he had almost forgotten about the menacing teen and broken briefcase. Menacing old man was more like it. Kaiba may look like your average tall, mysterious, handsome young man, but underneath was an old, cranky, sour old man. Jounouchi could see right through his act. But then again, Jou couldn't picture Kaiba as anything else. That was just Seto Kaiba. Jou tried as hard as he could to think of Kaiba being someone different. Someone nicer, happier, and bubblier. It strained his brain to think like that. It was just…impossible. Even if he succeeded, he knew the idea of it all would be so frightening he'd be in a coma for months.

The blonde shook away those thoughts along with the excess water in his now soaked through hair. He massaged his scalp and applied a heavy helping of shampoo; something his hair accepted happily. He washed away the suds and stared up at the ceiling above. It was white, no intricate design really, just a plain…simple white ceiling. It was quite a surprise…to find something simple in the Kaiba mansion. Everything else the blonde had been introduced to so far was amazing and full of unique designs. This ceiling…as weird as it may seem, offered a bit of comfort to Jou. It made him feel reassured. It made him feel he wasn't the only plain…dull…boring thing in this house. He had the ceiling.

Jou laughed out loud at his stupidity. Really? Relying on a ceiling as a "friend"? Maybe Kaiba was right and his years of insulting paid off. Maybe he was insane. It didn't make any difference to the blonde. Sanity was overrated anyway.

Jou made the rest of his shower quick and enjoyed it for as long as he could. He knew if he took to long, Kaiba would be back up here badgering for him to hurry the hell up. As he washed the way the rest of the suds and worries that clung to him, he turned around and turned off the running water. Kaiba was right; it was easy once you got the hang of it.

Jou pulled back the shower curtain and examined the bathroom for clean towels. Before, he had instinctively on a whim grabbed towels to clean the mess. He hadn't really paid attention where he grabbed them from. Just like everything else in the Kaiba manor, it wasn't hard to find. He saw racks and racks of them next to the sink, all of them in different assorted colors. Sheesh…at his house there was one towel, and it was so soured no one dared to touch it. For all the blonde knew, it was already home to something alive.

He picked an off-white towel off the closest rack to him and quickly dried his body off. He ruffled his hair in the towel briefly and left it at that. He looked in the mirror and smirked. It definitely gave him a more…edgy… look. Or maybe just messy...either way he kept it like that. Jou threw the towel aside and slipped on his boxers, ready for Kaiba to produce him a top and pants to wear as well. It was damn cold in that house when you were half naked.

After shaking his head once more Jounouchi finally headed towards the door. He gulped slightly as he quietly pushed it open. The sound of sliding fabric stopped the blonde in his tracks. He peered quietly over the side of the door and saw what had fallen. Kaiba had balanced a shirt and bottoms on the back of the doorknob. Jou looked both ways before lightly stepping out into the dark hallway and gathering the clothes. He ran back inside and shut the door lightly behind him. He held up his newly obtained outfit and grimaced. It wasn't that bad of an outfit really. A familiar black button up shirt with long sleeves and familiar matching black skinny jeans. Pretty much the same outfit Kaiba wore under all his layers of coats. He eyed them distastefully as he thought how it clashed with his style. It made him look to clean and orderly!

He unbuttoned the buttons on the shirt and slipped it over his tanned abs. It felt loose and smelled clean, making Jou happy. He buttoned up the buttons starting at the bottom and stopping at two before the top. He always thought it was nerdy looking when people buttoned these shirts all the way up. Next, he unbuttoned the bottoms of the sleeves, making it easier to pull them up to the elbows. Jou turned to the mirror and struck a pose. Not bad.

He looked down at the pants he had abandoned on the floor and sighed. Kaiba was known to wear tight pants in his day (not that Jou _noticed _this kind of thing of course) and these were one of them. He picked them up and eyed them once more. He sighed. He didn't really have a choice. It was these, or his boxers. Jou slipped the pants on after much struggle and quickly realized boxers were not the best thing to try and wear under skinnies. So that must mean Kaiba wore...

Jou shook his head quickly and mentally punished himself for even wondering what kind of underwear Kaiba wore. After calming his thoughts down, the blonde looked himself over once again. He messed with his hair around a little more before finally deciding it was passable. It had been a long time since Jou was actually satisfied with the way he looked. He was also a bit surprised at how well the clothes fit him. Kaiba had actually done well.

The blonde slowly turned towards the door that led out into the hallway. He neared it with a gulp, thinking about how it was time to face Kaiba. He felt it was too soon.

The blonde made his way over to the door leading into the hallway, and quietly flipped the switches down to turn off the lights. He tiptoed down the corridor; the only light was at the end of the hallway, indicating to Jou where the stairs were. Jou fumbled his way through the darkness and finally found himself standing in front of the stairs. He gripped the railing with his left hand and made his way down the stairs, trying to move as quietly as possible. As he hit the last step he followed the lights into the kitchen; the meeting place of him and the CEO. The CEO he owed money to. Jou felt a lump rise in his throat as he entered the room. The lump disappeared when his eyes found Seto Kaiba. Seto had changed his clothes as well. He was leaning against the same counter as earlier, a cup of coffee in one hand and a paper in the other. He had a grey undershirt type top and wore black exercise (the word sweat pants is taboo) type pants that looked surprisingly attractive. The blonde couldn't stop ogling at the brunette… Jou had to admit he wasn't half bad looking. The shirt conformed nicely to the brunettes body, bringing out how built the CEO really was.

This, of course, wasn't the first time Jou had ever thought another man was attractive…and as much as Jounouchi hated to admit it, he knew deep down that he was gay…or at least bi. Bi, to him, was a "nicer" word and besides…he still found women attractive. There just a few choice guys Jou couldn't help but feel attracted to…and unfortunately…he found Seto Kaiba making his way onto that dangerous list.

"_No Jou, bad!"_ Jounouchi spat, while mentally slapping the crap out of himself and erasing Kaiba from his list. Jou shut his eyes tightly for a few seconds, hoping to clear his thoughts before facing the sex god, I mean, _arch rival_ in front of him.

"_Bad Jou! Stoppit! You did NOT just think of Seto Kaiba as a sex god!"_ The blonde found himself squeezing his eyes harder before finally clearing those thoughts. He opened his eyes slowly and peered over at the brunette.

He hadn't noticed a thing, not even Jounouchi's entrance in the room. His eyes were transfixed on the paper. Jou looked around awkwardly before finally bringing a fist up to his mouth and clearing his throat. Kaiba's head shot up in response and his eyes met Jounouchi's.

"H-Heey Kaiba." Jou found himself saying as casually as possible. "Whatcha readin'?" Kaiba gave him one of his poisoned smiles and set his coffee down along with tossing the paper aside.

"Is it business stuff?"

Kaiba looked half amused. He walked over to the table where his busted case lay and sat down.

"Actually no…It was a book report Mokuba turned in. He got an A of course. He should have had a "+" tacked at the end of it."

"'Ey now, ain't just getting' an A enough? I wish I could be so lucky." Jou smiled and sat across from the brunette, giving him a teasing smile. Kaiba merely sighed and shut his eyes.

"I suppose…it's better than a cursed B after all. I still expected better."

"Everyone's not as perfect as you rich boy. What was the report on anyway?"

Kaiba took a moment to answer.

"The Tempest. One of Shakespeare's-"

"Yeah, yeah I know who Shacksphere is." Jounouchi cut him off and crossed his arms.

"…It's Shakespeare."

"That's what I said! Shacksphere! I'm surprised Mokuba already knows about him." The blonde repeated. Kaiba could almost feel a headache coming on.

"Never mind. I don't feel like arguing right now. Yes yes, Mokuba's a brilliant kid. Anyway. Let's get down to business." Kaiba muttered while rubbing his temples. He eyed the briefcase in front of him. Jou eyed it to...hatefully that is. Kaiba didn't care and continued to talk. "Take a seat."

Jou did, across from Kaiba.

"Inside that briefcase were years and years of priceless information I, along with KaibaCorp. have been working on for ages." He began. He could see the fear light up in Jou's eyes and a cold sweat begin to break out across his forehead.

"However,"

A sigh of relief was heard from across the table.

"I'm not so stupid as to not back up my information." He pointed to his busted laptop. "All the data and information on that was backed up on a hard drive just a few hours before the accident. Let's just say if I was stupid and didn't do this, you'd be in for quite a bit of money." Kaiba eyed him from across the table. Jou avoided all eye contact and merely stared down at his feet.

"So, all you have to pay me for is the briefcase itself and the laptop. After that we'll call it a deal."

After hearing this Jou looked up wearily.

"So how much am I in for?" He asked nervously, his voice shaking a bit. Kaiba smirked.

"Well, my laptop was quite a sum of money for someone like you, estimated around $1000 or $1200 dollars. I'll make it so you owe me $1100. I'd say that's fair enough." Kaiba held an inward smile as he watched all the color drain from Jounouchi's face. "And as for my briefcase…well…I can honestly say I was attached to that thing and it had sentimental value. So, I want another…hmm…let's say $900 for it?"

Jou felt he could fall over dead any minute now. When he did, this would all be a dream. He'd wake up on his crappy excuse for a mattress, his dad beating him upside the head for sleeping in so late and Seto Kaiba would be miles away. Out of sight out of mind. Besides, they say you never actually see yourself die in dreams, and that you never hit the bottom when you fall of a cliff. Where was a nice cliff when you needed one? That was a sure fire way to wake him-

"Fair enough I believe? Right, mutt?" Kaiba asked sternly, interrupting Jou's raging thoughts. Jou couldn't say anything. His tongue was numb from shock and all that came out was gibberish. Utter and complete gibberish. This wasn't a dream or nightmare. This was turning out to be hell itself.

"So when can I expect my money?" Kaiba questioned again without waiting for an answer or reaction.

"Y-Ya sick filthy rich bastard! How the hell do ya think I'm gonna be able to pay you? I can barely afford to live as it is! I don't see why I should pay someone as rich as you when ya already have all the damn money in da world!" Words exploded from Jou's mouth as he was unable to control his temper. If Kaiba was shocked by the sudden outburst, he didn't show it. He continued to rub his temples before finally speaking again.

"So…you're telling me you don't have the money? Is that it?" He asked wryly. Jou grimaced.

"Well then, I guess we'll have to find another way of working this out, now won't we?"

"…What exactly do you have in mind?" Jou asked expecting the worst.

"Simple."

"And what's "simple" supposed ta mean?"

"Simple. You'll become my dog.

Just those four little words…and Jou's imagination went wild. _You'll become my dog..._ Before becoming too engrossed in his own perverted thoughts he managed to sputter out.

"D-Dog…? Wh-what do you h-have in m-mind…?" Jou thought about adding a "master" onto the end of it (just for fun) but restrained himself, knowing if he said that he wouldn't live to see tomorrow. He mentally slapped himself again for even thinking about that. An amused smirk teased its way onto Kaiba's face.

"Sim-"

"I swear if you say simple one more damn time I'm gonna claw your throat out."

The brunette's eyes narrowed.  
"Fine. I'll just cut to the chase then. Being my dog, means you'll be my errand boy so to speak."

"Yer what?"

"My errand boy, mutt. You'll be the obedient puppy that goes around and does the petty things I don't have time to do. "

"So what you're telling me is I hafta go around and do whatever you don't _want_ to?" Jou muttered through gritted teeth in attempt to keep his anger under control.

Kaiba shrugged.

"In a sense. We can start from there. If I think of anything else I'd like you to do for me, then you'll do that."

"Sounds like I'm more a slave than anythin'!" Jou yelled in outrage. He received a penetrating stare from Kaiba.

"Mokuba IS trying to sleep I hope you know. Don't take you anger out on him."

Jou's fists clenched.

"I'm not taking my anger out on him. I'm taking it out on you, bastard!" He whispered harshly. Kaiba shrugged it off.

"Anyway, if you want to think of it as a slave, then go ahead. In a sense you're right. For awhile, you are employed to me." Another terrifying smirk grew on the brunette's face. Jounouchi found himself wondering just how far this was going to go.

_"He said slave...Slave."_ Jou's mind began wandering again. He wanted to bang his head down on the table to stop those damn thoughts. _"Dammit mind! Stoppit! I hate you at times like this! I don't like the guy so you can just stop."_

There was no way in hell he liked Seto Kaiba. Not the devil that was sitting across from him, playing and toying with his once innocent life...there was no way.

"_I won't ever. Besides, I'll never really like a guy, I just, might find one...I feel attracted to. But other than that I like girls! Girls! With their-"_

"So is it a deal? If you do this, we'll just say your debt is vanquished." The brunette stretched his hand across the table and waited for Jou to shake it. It wouldn't be a deal otherwise.

Jou, shook back to reality, stared at the hand and slowly thought about his options...and those were quite limited.

"Mutt?"

Jou sighed and closed his eyes.

He smacked the hand away.

"Dumbass, like I'd agree to something like that! The conditions aren't even that clear! How long do ya plan on owning me? My whole life?"

"Depends on how obedient the dog is." Kaiba retracted his hand and placed both of his hands under his chin to support it, his elbows lying stiffly on the table. Jou scoffed quietly, his gaze meeting Kaiba's once more.

"And if I refuse?"

"Ever heard of a thing called blackmail? Unless you think of another way to pay me back, I'll make your life a living hell."

"You're a bit late fer that." The blonde answered quickly, malice embedded deep in his voice. "It already is as far as I'm concerned."

As Jou said this, Kaiba stopped and seriously thought about what to say to that. It was...a surprise to him, more than anything. For once _the_ Seto Kaiba was speechless. An exasperated sigh was heard from the opposite end of the table.

And then...the unexpected happened.

Jou slammed his left hand abruptly down on the table, outstretched towards Kaiba. It was cocked slightly to the left, exposing his palm. Kaiba stared at it, his eyes a bit wider than usual. He looked up at Jou who was looking away from the table in almost embarrassment. His cheeks were a tinted red after all.

"I don't really have a choice...and a deal isn't a deal unless you shake on it, right?"

Kaiba remained silent and slowly stretched his hand out to meet Jounouchi's. They shook quickly and pulled there hands back to their laps mere seconds later. As soon as Jou retrieved his hand back he wiped it all over his shirt.

"Eww...It's got snobby rich germs on it. I hate snob germs."

"Most people would like to be touched by "rich germs". I should be the one more worried. Who knows what's on this hand now. For all I know you slobbered on it." Kaiba replied with a teasing smile. Just the sight made Jou gulp.

"S-So anyway," the blonde continued as he looked away. "When do I start this...being a "slave"?" He spat the word slave still not happy with it at all.

"What do you mean "start"? It already has."

"...Huh." Jou said more than asked, a stupid looked stretched across his face showing he was confused.

"Why that look mutt? It makes you even more unattractive than you are now. Of course you've already started. This isn't like a part time job."

Jou, who was now far beyond pissed off, merely grimaced and waited for Kaiba to finish.

"This "dog" ordeal is a full time thing. You have to be there for my ever wish and beckoning call." Kaiba finished and leaned back in his chair, looking perfectly relaxed. Jou on the other hand felt as if he just died. If he'd been taking a drink of anything, he was sure he would have spit it out all over the smug face across from him and fallen over dead. If only that had actually happened... Instead, Jou found himself choking on spit and suffering from a short coughing spell after words.

"Swallow a bone, mutt?"

"No one asked you."

"I'd be kinder if I were you. After all, I'm not making you pay me anything."

"Yeah! At the expense of my LIFE."

"Whatever mutt, think what you want. It makes no difference to me."

Jou sat silent for a minute when another question hit him.

"When can I go home?"  
Kaiba appeared to think for a minute.

"Well, tonight you probably wouldn't want to. It's pretty late. Besides, I'll need you early in the morning. If I suggest you stay here for a night would you refuse? As for other situations, I'm not sure. Depends on when I have what I want done."

Jou remained silent and thought about his options again. Once again, it didn't take much thinking.

"Awright. I'll stay here fer ONE night. But other then dat I'm goin' home, and ya can't stop me."

"I don't _own_ you, mutt. You're just my dog for the time being."

"Whatever." Jou spat. Kaiba sighed and stood up from his seat, stretching a bit before saying;

"Well, come on then, I'll show you to your cage." He gave Jou another acid smile again before walking towards the stairs. Jou lagged behind considerably, trying to decide if Kaiba was really joking or not. After reaching the top of the stairs, the blonde spotted the brunette standing by a door two away from Mokuba's room.

"Here, this is the guests room. Stay here for the night, and make sure you sleep. You're going to work with me in the morning." Kaiba pushed open the door and let Jou inside. Jou couldn't keep from gasping.

The room was decorated perfectly for Jounouchi's tastes. A grand bed lay against the back wall, its intricately carved wood head and foot boards were finished in a shiny bronze color. The sheets were red and off white, a perfect combination in Jou's eyes. The carpet was perfectly vacuumed and a pale cream color. Curtains draped the windows on opposite sides of the room and a giant walk in closet was just a few feet away. Jou ran over to his closet and threw open the doors. Kaiba followed silently behind and watched him examine his room. The closet was HUGE but very bare and empty. It needed more clothes. Closets weren't meant to be so bare. After Jou examined the closet, he ran off to open and close every drawer in the desk he spotted. Kaiba could see the resemblance in Jou and an excited puppy. The joke he'd thought of in the bathroom slowly returned to him. All he hoped for was that this puppy was house broken.

"Th-This is...well hell this is amazing!" The blonde couldn't help but comment as he dove face first into his temporarily bed. The sheets had that fresh crisp smell to them, just like everything else in the guest room did. Seeing all this would almost make Jou sad he had to leave it...It was much better then the sorry excuse he called home now after all. Kaiba began to talk but was cut off by a huge yawn from Jou. The blonde frowned and rubbed his eyes.

"Damn...I didn't know I was this tired yet." He chuckled and moved himself into a more comfortable position and closing his eyes.

"Get some sleep mutt. You have a full day of work tomorrow." The brunette said and he flipped off the lights to Jou's room. As he shut the door behind him, Kaiba whispered in a low voice, before continuing on to his room

"Good night...Jounouchi."

It didn't matter though. Katsuya was already fast asleep.

And not a storm cloud was to be seen in the sky...

* * *

**A/N: (Yes another one) *sighs* Geez...what a pain this was to edit. *bangs head against desk* I swear I wrote some, I changed some; I spelled that wrong, wrong tense. *takes out stress by pounding keyboard* ...Ok, I'm good. =.=**

**Also, I'm TRYING my hardest to keep them as close to everyone's original character as possible! . I don't mind OCC-ness really, but I know people who do! Same with the whole AU thingy. This chapter I think some _were _a bit OCC and I apologize ._. please don't flame 'cause of it. Believe me, I tried. . That was the main reason this was such a pain to edit and write, and why this update wasn't as quick as the last one. Blah...**


	4. First Days are Always Boring

Jou woke up the next morning to the light shining through the curtains of an unfamiliar room. He sat up, confused, and rubbed his sleepy eyes. Where was he...? He kicked off his, what felt like, satin sheets and looked around sleepily. Light seeped into the room through the blinds and the curtains were pulled over to the side of the windows. Jou cautiously got up and walked over to the nearest window. He slipped his fingers through the blind and pulled them apart, far enough he could see into them. As he looked out onto the damp lawn of the Kaiba mansion, memories of last night flooded back into his mind. So it wasn't all just a bad dream. He was really here. He was really in debt. In debt to his arch rival. As it all sunk in Jou felt the need to go sit down. He walked back over to his bed in a dazed state and sat down, placing his elbows on his raised knees and resting his head in his hands. Now what...? Before he had time to make an escape plan, Jounouchi heard a short rap on the door before it burst open.

"About time you were up dog." Kaiba spat as he threw something at Jounouchi. It landed in his lap lightly. Jou picked it up and recognized it shortly after. It was his school uniform. Before he even got to say a sour "thanks" the door was shut. When Jou was sure Kaiba was gone, he lifted the clothes to his face and sniffed. They smelled, nice, crisp, and of detergent. It was the best they'd smelled in awhile. Jou walked over and fiddled with the blinds, trying to shut them completely.

"No..." He muttered as he opened the blinds more instead of closing them. "Close, not open dammit." He growled as the blinds made themselves crooked. Jou's teeth gritted. "SERIOUSLY?"

After minutes more of struggle, Jou finally gave up and walked into his closet to change. Stupid blinds...there was no way in hell Jou would be able to surivive in this house. Thank God he was going to be able to go home. Jou grumbled random gibberish as he slid off those dumb pants and kicked them across the closet. He shoved them under on of the drawer compartments at the back of the closet and smirked satisfactorily. He was so smooth. Jou looked down at the multiple buttons and started to unbutton them from the top. It was when he was half way through with the unbuttoning he discovered he had buttoned it up wrong last night.

"Seriously? I can't even button shirt up without lookin' like a complete idiot!" Jou spat and undid the rest of the buttons quickly.

He finally pulled the thing off and made it join the pants in they're "special" compartment. Jou looked at the outfit one more time in disgust before shoving it further back against the wall and giving it a small kick. Never again would he wear something Kaiba gave him, especially things that made him look like an idiot.

He slipped on the familiar blue pants and sighed happily. His legs could breathe again! He picked up the now crisp white shirt, not a stain in sight (not even the grape juice one from last weeks lunch) and slipped it on, liking how buttonless it was. He picked up the matching jacket and carried it out of the closet as he shut the door behind him. He left the jacket on his temporary bed and decided to go and try to reason with Kaiba again. He was tired last night and he didn't know what he was agreeing to! Hell, he was sure neither of them did. To Jou it was all like a dream, and he wished to every god he could think of that it was. Cold, cruel reality ensued and he knew that wishful thinking wasn't going to help him here. This was a situation where thinking like this would get you hurt. He had a cup of wishes in one hand and spit from wasted words and wishes in the other. Now let's just see which one fills up faster.

_"I wonder..." _He merely thought to himself before walking out of the room and shutting the door lightly behind him.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Seto Kaiba hadn't slept at all last night. Instead, he mauled over what tomorrow could bring...and also about his rash decision dealing with Jounouchi. Was this kind of talk even sensible? He was never rash about anything. Kaiba took pride in what he did and the decisions he made, thinking through every possible outcome. He only dealt rashly when the situation demanded it. So why did he jump right in to this one? Hatred couldn't be the cause of this, and it most _definitely _wasn't love. The only person Kaiba could admit to loving would be Mokuba, and decisions based on his well being took the most thought. So why now...? Why was this such a...difficult situation to overcome? Was he that upset? It was just a laptop and a meaningless briefcase. In truth, he didn't even really need Jounouchi at all...So why was he going to the trouble of thinking of ways for the dog to pay him back...? The more he thought about the unanswered questions, the more he became bombarded with more questions.

So here he now sat, Mokuba was sitting across from him at the kitchen table, eating cereal and playing a DS game. Mokuba had gotten up around 7, which had given Kaiba plenty of time to explain the weird ordeal he seemed to be in. Mokuba didn't really mind, and seemed happy that he's probably be seeing more of Jou around here.

Speak of the devil, here he came.

Jou made his way loudly down the steps, a bit louder than intended. He jumped off the last step and wandered his way aimlessly into the kitchen. The Kaiba brothers were sitting at the table, the eldest drank his coffee with the same expression as always, while the younger smiled up at Jou and waved (after putting his game on pause of course).

"Good morning Jounouchi!"

"Hey Mokuba...and Kaiba." Jou said awkwardly still very confused about the current situation.

"You slept in to late, mutt. I'm late to work as it is." Kaiba muttered as he stood up with his coffee. "Meet me outside the house in five minutes or else." With that said, Kaiba left the kitchen and the sound of a door slamming shut indicated he was already outside.

"Don't mind Nii-sama Jou, he's actually not that bad once you get to know him more. Really he isn't. Here, I'll get you some breakfast. Is a bagel okay?" Mokuba questioned. Jou shrugged and watched as the younger Kaiba stood on his tiptoes to reach a higher cabinet. Jou wondered how Mokuba and Kaiba could be so different from each other. Jou also still had a hard time seeing a "nice" side of Kaiba.

"Here you go Jou." Mokuba smiled and handed the blonde a bagel. "We have some stuff to put on it to, if you want."

"No, Mokuba, it's fine. Thanks though!" Jou said happily and took a bite of the bagel.

"Oh! I almost forgot. Nii-sama wanted me to ask you if you needed to get ahold of your family and tell them where you are! He wasn't sure, since he found you out late anyway, but he wanted me to ask. We have a phone if you-"

"No, Mokuba, it's fine." Jou repeated, his voice less cheery this time. Mokuba fidgeted uncomfortably as he realized he'd hit a land mine. Silence passed as Mokuba struggled to find words.

"Thanks for bein' so kind." Jou stood up, his cheery demeanor returning in mere seconds. He ruffled the boys raven hair and stretched with a yawn. "I guess I'll be seein' ya around then, ne?"  
Mokuba stared up at him, a bit puzzled by what had just happened.

"...Yup!" Mokuba smiled back. Their happy little moment was ruined by the loud obnoxious sound of a car horn. Mokuba sighed with a small smile. "Nii-sama wants you to hurry up. You better go. Good bye Jou!"

"Yeah, bye." Jou waved a bit before he and his bagel made their way outside to face their doom. Jou walked over to the door leading outside and reached out to open the door.

"Ah, shit!" He cursed under his breath as he missed the small step in between the door and the foyer. Pain shot through the leg he had injured from last night's fall as the blonde hit the floor once again. He bit back on his lip to hold in another curse as the pain seemed to resonate. He held onto it tightly and rocked back and forth, his eyes clamped tightly shut. As the pain seemed to begin to fade, Jou gathered the strength to get up. Then the door opened.

"What are you doing mutt? Chewing up the carpet?" Kaiba asked as he stepped through the door, glaring down at the blonde.

"Um...gettin' mah shoes on?" Jou feigned a smile and tried to mask the pain in his voice.

"I hardly believe that. You've been favoring that ankle ever since we got here. Only a mere idiot wouldn't notice."

"Have not."

"I believe you have. Let me see it." Jou didn't have time to protest as Kaiba kneeled beside him and pulled back his pants leg to reveal his ankle.

"It's fine." Jou spat, trying to shove Kaiba off of him. Kaiba stayed put and insisted on inspecting the ankle. He felt on it for a moment, Jou struggling to keep from wincing in pain. Finally, Kaiba came to a conclusion.

"It's fine, it feels just like a mild sprain. I'm sure in a few days it will be back to normal." Kaiba returned to his standing position and watched as Jou pulled his shoes onto his feet, ignoring the brunette completely. The CEO turned to walk out the door without another word. Only Jounouchi's words stopped him.

"Jus' cause mah ankles hurt don't mean I'm not gonna finish mah job." Kaiba glanced over his shoulder to see Jou pulling himself to his feet. "I'm ready."

After a moments pause Kaiba finally replied.

"You don't have to push yourself, mutt. Your debt can wait if your not well."

"Nothin' wrong with me. Besides, sooner I pay this thing off, the sooner I'm free to live my life again." Jou gave Kaiba one of his cheesy smiles before pushing the brunette out of the way so he could walk out the door. "Hurry up moneybags."

As Jou stepped outside, the smell of nature about knocked him over. Flowers were blooming from the rose and flower beds around the mansion, the smell that always followed a good rain engulfed the air. Jou stretched once more, the good weather making him feel better already.

"Ain't this weather nice Kaiba?" Jou turned around to see the brunette already walking along the sidewalk towards the familiar limo that had drove them around last night. "...Kaiba? Ain't ya gonna enjoy this weather fer a moment. It's real nice." A small breeze ruffled Jou's hair and clothes sending new flower scents his way.

"Weather isn't something I think I should find joy in." Kaiba answered simply, not even bothering to turn around to face Jou. Jou muttered something like "buzz kill" under his breath before taking another big breath of fresh air and following Kaiba into his limo. Inside the seating was practically the same as it was the first night Jou had rode in the limo. Kaiba on one side of the seat, Jou on the other, both turned away from each other so they were facing a window. Kaiba couldn't get used to the feeling of not having his briefcase beside him and his computer on his lap. He suddenly felt very empty and the feeling of forgetting them couldn't stop plaguing his mind. He found he had to constantly remind himself that it was busted.

"So where we goin'?" Jou asked as he watched the trees and bushes of Domino go by in a blur.

"My company of course, where else do you think I'd be going?"

"Oh." Was all Jou said.

They arrived at the company in silence. Kaiba got out first, Jounouchi following close behind. Jou looked up at the towering building in front of him, he had to use his hand to shield his eyes from the sun.

"Christ..." He murmured low enough Kaiba could barely hear. To Jou, Kaiba Corp. had always been somewhat amazing from far away, an it looked even better from up close. Small bubbles of excitement seemed to fill Jou up as he thought about how in mere seconds, he was going to be inside this amazing building.

"Are you done gawking at it yet?" Kaiba asked coldly as he slammed his door shut and began walking up to his building. Jou took one more swift glance before running after Kaiba, who was already standing at the front door, waiting for the blonde to catch up.

"Yeah yeah I'm comin'." He muttered, taking his place behind Kaiba. Kaiba couldn't help but smirk.

"Yes, just like a good dog. Always following behind his master."

Jou grimaced and took this as an opportunity to step in front of Kaiba.

"Now who's followin' who?" Jou looked over his shoulder and smirked. Kaiba eyes widened a bit and were soon turned down in a glare. He pushed Jou away and took his place back in front. Jou smiled at their little game and snuck his way back in front.

"Mutt." Kaiba spat through gritted teeth as he pushed his way to the front once more.

"Kaiba." Jou retorted and slipped through to the front once more. Kaiba grunted in disapproval and pushed Jou out if his way once more. He guarded the entry way with his arms.

"Do I need to put you on a leash?" Kaiba asked over his shoulder. The only problem was Jou wasn't there.

"I dunno, do ya?" The blondes familiar voice asked from the front. Kaiba turned to see the blonde facing him, only a few inches away from his face, a cheesy grin in its usual place.

"I think I might have to." Kaiba muttered before taking down his arms. Kaiba raised his arms to push the smug blonde out of his way until...

"Mr. Kaiba?" Kaiba tensed up and merely turned his head to face the voice, even though he already knew who it was. It was his Vice President.

"Are you just now getting to work Sir?" He asked curiously, while straining his neck to see what Kaiba was doing to the boy in front of him. The brunette looked like he was about to strangle him, whoever he was.

"Yes, I apologize. I had a small delay." Kaiba glared momentarily at the blonde in front of him before turning back to the VP. "Was I needed for something?"

The VP jumped a bit as he felt Kaiba's penetrating stare pierce.

"Oh, um, no Sir. It's just, not like you to show up so late. Even though it's not required you come in so early, you do so anyway. I just thought you might've actually taken the day off. You haven't had one in a awhile."

"We'll discuss more on that topic when we get inside. I have some business to discuss with you."

The VP looked a bit confused but nodded all the same.

"Very well. Shall we get going then?"

Kaiba nodded and stepped on Jou's foot lightly.

"Move mutt, just follow my lead." He whispered. Jou merely nodded and jumped out of the CEO's way...right into the revolving doors. Jou smirked and made a face before leaping out the other side. Kaiba glared at the mutt who stole his door and stepped in the next compartment he could. After reaching the other side, he grabbed the blondes arm and rushed towards the nearest elevator.

"You're not doing a very convincing job, mutt." Kaiba muttered after shoving Jou into the nearest open elevator. Kaiba followed in quickly after and pushed the "Close" button. His hand flew automatically to the his floor's button and sat back against the wall to enjoy the ride up.

"So what am I suppos'd ta-i mean-to do?" Jou asked hautily.

"Shut up?"

"Dat's not nice." Jou pouted.

Kaiba shrugged.

"Just wait in the conference room area. I'll show you where it is. Stay there. I'll only be a minute."

"Can't I go explore? Dis place is real big and all, it looks interestin'."

"No."

"But-"

"No."

A small ding signalled that they're ride had come to an end. Kaiba pushed Jou out of the elevator and stormed past one of his many secretaries. The hallway Jou found himself in was pretty ordinary; shiny tiles that had recently been waxed made up the floor, black leather chairs and a coffee table were alined neatly with each other right outside Kaiba's office. A young blonde girl of about 19 sat behind the secretary desk, typing away at her computer with her painted nails. Bright office lights shined down on all the spic and span office. This place was just as clean as the mansion was. Kaiba was just getting ready to enter his office door when he stopped.

"Sit."

"But I wanna stand." Jou complained.

"Sit and don't talk to anyone. I'll only be a minute." He glared at Jou for what felt like an interminable amount of time before finally slamming his door shut. The un-obedient blonde took this as an opportunity to explore...or flirt. The two were practically the same anyway.

* * *

**A/N: Well... Finally updated. *Apologies* Like my friend Paige (MoonlightSkye) I've been EXTREMELY busy. Not only do I have school, but I have travel softball as well. I think our coach thinks its fun to ruin our weekends by scheduling a tourney each weekend, with games and practices in between. So expect lotsa lacks of updates... ._. So until next time~**


	5. Hidden

**A/N: An update (: obviously heh. Sorry for the delay, for people reading this . Good news, softballs ended so now all I have that's holding me back from updating is school and piano ^w^ but anyway, expect updates and thanks for reading~**

**Disclaim: Don't own anything in this fic except my idea**

**Oh by the way, I'm still needing to revise this a bit more (I wrote AND I'm revising at 2 in the morning...so yeah, probably not my best editing job) I haven't updated in so long, I really wanted to get this chapter up. So I did.**

**(AN October 21, 11: I've come to the conclusion I want a beta. XD Because I hate proofreading my own stuff. Drives me nuts. Agh.)**

* * *

Seto Kaiba was usually not one to worry. The only thing he had to worry about really was his business, and Mokuba, but since neither of these things seemed to be in any sort of danger, Kaiba shouldn't be worried...right? He couldn't quite understand it himself, but the stupid mutt made him...

_"Nervous? ...No...that's not the right word...Concerned? Bah, that's even worse." _The CEO muttered to himself as a small meeting over nothing important was undergo. The office room was nothing special, and it was incredibly big for no apprent reason. Only five people were in the room at the time anyway, including Kaiba himself, who was seated at the head of the table (like always). To his left, his Vice President rambled on about something Kaiba found no interest in at all at that time. His mind was elsewhere. He did distantly wonder, however, how the hell he got stuck in another damn meeting.

_"Worried...? HELL no. ...But if none of those are the right words...then what is? What IS this damned feeling...?" _

"Kaiba-sama?"

_"I HATE him, I HATE what he does to me... What does he do to me...? I don't even know anymore!"_

"Um...Kaiba...sama?"

_"Either way, it's all his stupid fault. The mutts the source of this misery."_

"Kaiba!"

"Hn?" Kaiba muttered in an annoyed tone of voice, as he finally came to.

"We-uh-wanted to know your opinion on-"

"I have none, do whatever you want." Kaiba muttered as he stood up to stretch his already stiff legs. His eyes were already on the door, the only thing seperating him and the dog.

"B-But Kaiba, the meeting isn't over-"

"Well, now it is." Kaiba snapped and glared at his VP. "I'm taking the day off today, actually. I doubt you'll disapprove, and even if you did," He glanced down with his icy stare once more, "I wouldn't really care."

The VP and sighed at his uncoopertive CEO.

"It's fine, Kaiba-sama. I can't remember the last day you actually took off."

"Hn."

"Well," The VP looked at the remaining three people. "Meeting, dismissed."

Kaiba didn't hesitate. He made a bee-line for the door and swung it open with glass shattering force. The sight that met his eyes was definitely a shock.

"So, you said you're free Friday night? I'd like to, maybe meet up with you somewhere..." The blonde secretary giggled as she twirled her hair with a perfectly manicured finger. Jou leaned up cooly against the side of the desk and shook his bangs out of his eyes as he smiled.

"Yeah, as a matter o' fact, I am."

She grinned and quickly jotted something down on a post-it note before handing it to the blonde.

"I like boys like you," She whispered loud enough Kaiba could barely hear. He watched as she pressed the yellow piece of paper in the mutts hands. That was it.

"Jounouchi!" Kaiba barked as he stormed into the room. "I thought I told you to sit!"

The blondes eyes were now on the angry steely eyed CEO.

"Oh shit." The blonde gulped as an angry Kaiba grew nearer. He cringed, expecting Kaiba to smack him around. Instead, the brunnette grabbed his arm and tugged him forward.

"We're leaving, come on."

"Huh?" Jou asked desperately as he fought against Kaiba with all his might. "But I thought I was emplo-"

"You are. Just not here."

Jou watched in desperation as his blonde beauty sitting at the secretary desk was slowly disappearing.

"I'll call youuuuu!" Jou called out dramatically before being shoved into an elevator. Kaiba followed shortly after. Before shutting the door he smirked at the secretary and said,

"You're fired."

Kaiba punched the "close" button and with a small ding, the elevator began it's slow decent. Jou was furious, and the fact that the crappy elevator music played in the background definitely wasn't helping his mood.

"What the hell was that Kaiba?"

"What do you mean, mutt?"

"Why'd ya go and fire her for?"

"Um, because she's a slut who thinks boys are more important than her job." He answered stiffly. "Why do you care anyway?"

"I dunno." Jou muttered and slumped back against the wall. He uncrinkled the paper in his palm and smiled.

_"Atleast I still got her phone numba..."_

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba noticed the blonde oogling the piece of paper. He gritted his teeth as another "ding" from the elevator signalled they were once again at the bottom floor.

"C'mon mutt." He muttered and shoved his way past his workers who were waiting to use the elevator.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'."

As they reached outside, traffic was at a high. Cars whizzed by in every which direction. Both teens had stopped at the edge of the sidewalk to stare.

"Hey mutt." Kaiba said without taking his gaze off the traffic.

"What?"

"Is that Shizuka and Honda over there? Holding hands?" He asked slyly and pointed to his right.

"WHAT?" Jou roared and looked around wildly. "Where! Where?"

Kaiba smirked and took this as an oppurtunity to snatch the phone number, crumple it up, and throw it down the drainage grate. Jou looked down it in defeat.

"...Damn you."

"You're welcome." Kaiba muttered and began to walk off towards his limo.

"Hey! Kaiba! Urrrrrrgh!" Jou yelled and kicked a rock as hard as he could towards the parking lot. A loud _thunk_ was heard and the sudden burst of a car alarm. By that time, Kaiba was already in his limo. Jou wasn't far behind.

~o~

"So, where we goin' to now?" The blonde asked as he leaned back in the comfy interior of the limo.

"Shopping."

"...Why?"

"Because I said so. Now shut your trap before I buy you a muzzle." Kaiba snapped and crossed his arms angrily. Jou muttered angry gibberish about Kaiba before the brunette finally caved.

"If you must know, I'm going to pick out a new laptop and briefcase. You're only here to carry it all."

"Gee thanks."

Kaiba ignored him and impatiently waited for the ride to be over.

~o~

"Holy crap Kaiba! These laptops are, like, HUGE!" The blonde exclaimed as he ran all over the electronic's section of the store, poking and prodding every available laptop on display. Kaiba sighed and massaged his temples in a desperate attempt to keep a headache at bay.

"Heheh, look Kaiba, these ones are tiny." Jounouchi mused and pointed to the netbooks. Kaiba ignored him and skimmed through the section, trying to find one like his old one.

"Hey! Kaiba! How 'bout dis one!" Jou wagged an eyebrow and held up a bright pink and silver netbook. Kaiba gave him a look that said "shut up if you want to live to see tomorrow" so the blonde put it back down with a pout.

"Geeeez Kaiba, lighten up a little."

"Mutt, stop saying my name in every single sentence you use. It's getting irratating." Kaiba glanced over at him before returning his gaze to the computers. Jou gave an exaggerated sigh before following the brunette.

"See? That's what I mean! You're so, 'I'm-Seto-Kaiba-and-I-have-a-stick-up-my-ass'. Loosen up, live a little."

"_You're_ going to have more than just a stick up YOUR ass if you don't shut up."

"...Wow Kaiba...I didn't know you were like that." The blonde teased. Kaiba gave him an incredilous look, which sent the blonde into laughter. Kaiba stared at him awkwardly for a moment, and prayed that his face felt warm because of the heating in the building, not because of blush. Finally, Jounouchi's laughter ceased and he patted Kaiba on the shoulder.

"You're funny man."

"I didn't say anything."

"Exactly." The blonde grinned and patted his shoulder once more before running off to look at laptops again. The brunette sighed and once again tried to concentrate on the laptops. However, his mind kept wandering, or, his gaze, that is, kept wandering over...to Jounouchi. Kaiba wanted to slap himself for it, but he just...couldn't help it. He didn't understand. Once or twice, the blonde could feel the CEO's steely gaze on him and would glance up out of the corner of his eye, but Kaiba noticed he'd choosed to ignore it. Kaiba finally forced himself to look back at the laptops and finally found one to his satisfaction.

"Okay mutt, I'm done."

"Wouldja stop callin' me dat in public?" Jou whispered from the other side of the aisle. "People are gonna start thinkin' weird things!"

"Let them think. See if I care."

Jou rolled his eyes and followed the CEO up to the checkout aisle. The thing was quickly paid for by Kaiba, then dropped into Jou's arms.

"Do you need a bag, sir?" The cashier asked in slight amusement.

"He's fine, hurry up dog, daylight's wasting."

"Easy...fer you tah say." Jou muttered under his breath as he lifted the package and struggled to keep up with Kaiba's large strides.

"So," The blonde started after finally catching up with kaiba. "Where to now?"

"A place that sells briefcases."

"And where's dat exactly?"  
Kaiba paused.

"...I have...no clue." he admitted as he got into his limo and shut the door. Jou smirked slightly and shifted the package in his hands so he could try and open his door. After many failed attempts he finally got it open and plopped down in his seat, package still in hand.

"...You could have set it on the ground, then opened the door you know."

"...Shut up asshole."

Eventually, the two decided it would be best to just say screw the shopping trip and go home. Kaiba could easily buy a briefcase online instead of spending time looking for a store that sells them (to his caliber, anyway).

The ride home was longer than the ride up, Jou thought. He glanced over at the stiff CEO. Why had he ripped up that number? The question was still eating away at Jou, and he wasn't planning on giving up until he got an answer.

"...Moneybags?"

"Mutt?" He retorted automatically. Jou did his best to restrain an eyeroll before continuing.

"Honestly, why'd ya get rid o' that girl in at yer business? And rip up her number? Wasn't like I was gonna call her anyway." Kaiba was silent a moment. He honestly didn't know himself why he did. Impluse, maybe? That, of course, wouldn't be a very reasonable answer to tell Jounouchi. He decided it was best to avoid answering.

"You say you weren't going to call it?"

"Nah, she wasn't mah type. She was hot, but not mah type."

Kaiba was a bit curious and wanted to ask just what his type was, but didn't want to appear to the blonde as gay. He'd already cracked one to many jokes about that today (not on purpose, of course). Because Seto Kaiba isn't gay. And never will be.

"Then why the hell did you ask her for her number?"

"I didn't! She just, gave it to me! And asked me out! And stuff!"

"I hardly believe that."

"...Okay, maaaybe I kinnnda let her on...but I mean, oh nevermind. You wouldn't understand." The blonde huffed and sunk lower in his seat.

"...What makes you think I wouldn't?"

"Huh?" The blonde asked, clearly startled. Had Kaiba just indicated he had _feelings?_ Jou looked the brunette over, to make sure he wasn't joking or being sarcastic, and as far as he could tell, the CEO wasn't. When Kaiba turned to meet Jounouchi's stares, something inside the blonde felt shaken. Those deep blue eyes seemed to see right through Jou, which made him feel twin feelings of discomfort and...contentment?

_"Nah, dat's not right. Like i could ever feel like dat around him. Pah."_

"Mutt?"

"What?"

"...Nevermind."

The vehicle lurched forward as the brakes were slammed on.

"We've arrived back at KaibaCorp, Kaiba-sama." The driver said from up front. Jounouchi recovered from being thrown forward again and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"You could, ya know, warn us, before ya do that."

"Hn."

Kaiba didn't waste a second getting out of the vehicle.

"Hey! What about me?" The blonde asked as he pressed his face up against the window. Kaiba sighed and opened the door, once again causing the blonde to kiss the ground.

"You weally need tah stop doin dat before you bweak mah noth." Jou mumbled into the dirt. Kaiba sneered.

"I wouldn't care if I did." He watched the blonde pick himself up off the ground before continuing. "I decided you're going to carry that into my office." Kaiba pointed towards the laptop's box and then turned on his heels so he could begin marching up to his building.

"YOU decided?" Jou spat at his back. When Kaiba gave no reply the blonde sighed and grabbed the package, just like the dog that he is. Kaiba smirked and under his breath said

"Good dog, already learning how to fetch."

"I heard dat," Jou grumbled as he passed by his "master" and pushed the revolving door with his shoulder. He tripped going in, so he ended up momentarily face-planting into the glass (leaving MORE smudges for the cleaners) before finally making it to the other side. Kaiba did his best to hide his amusement as he stepped into the same revolving compartment that Jounouchi's "lovely" face had smacked into. As soon as he stepped out of the revolving door, the CEO shook off every bit of amusement he found in that and once again wore his steely mask.

"C'mon mutt, this way, we'll take the elevator again."

~o~

Jounouchi only got a quick glimpse of Kaiba's actual office. The only thing he really got to see was whatever was visable when you cracked the door open a centimeter. When they had reached the top floor, Kaiba had snatched the laptop and walked down the hallway to unlock his office door. He opened it just wide enough to slide the package in before he shut the door and locked it once more.

"That will do it. I'm going home now. I don't feel like pulling an all nighter." The brunette proceeded back down the hallway and waited for the mutt to catch up with him. Once inside, he shut the elevator door and they once again began a decent.

~o~

Outside KaibaCorp. was as busy as always, especially the traffic. Only that wasn't the problem at hand.

"Where...the hell...did the limo go?" Kaiba asked through gritted teeth. He immiedetly brought out his cellphone and called his driver.

"Where the-! You thought? Ugh. Hn. No no that's just great. Sorry! ...Whatever. No, you're not fired, oh, God please don't cry. It's fine we'll walk!" Kaiba pressed the end call button angrily and shoved his cell phone back down in his pocket.

"...What was all dat about?"

"He thought we were going to be staying here, so he left us. Isn't it great?"

"Uh...sure?"

Kaiba sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Well...we best get moving then. It's not too far from the mansion."

The blonde nodded, and quickly followed Kaiba, who was briskly walking down the sidewalk.

"When we get back to the mansion, I'll have him drive you home. I'm sure you're family is-"

"Nah, it's fine. I'm sure he don't notice."

Kaiba was surpirsed at how the blonde had cut him off like that, and in such a nasty tone too. He opened his mouth to ask, but decided that this was one of those times where one should keep their mouth shut.

They walked a ways, both deep in thought and silent. It was almost _too_ silent. Kaiba couldn't get used to the fact the mutt was actually silent. They came to an intersection and Kaiba waited patiently for the sign to change. Only Jounouchi didn't. The blonde was so deep in thought, he wasn't really thinking about where he was going; and it just so happened he was going straight out into the street, filled with oncoming traffic.

"Jounouchi!" Kaiba yelled, although the sound was drowned out by the sound of squealing tires.

Jounouchi fell backwards as Kaiba's arms gripped around his stomach and pulled him out of the way of danger. Cars swerved and horns blared angrily as people yelled "Watch where you're going asshole!" Out the window. Both teens were breathless from shock before reality slowly sunk in. However, Jounouchi didn't move, and neither did Kaiba. Jou stood there, still breathing heavy, with Kaiba's strong arms clamped tightly around his stomach. He could feel Kaiba's breath on his neck as they both recovered from that shock. Eventually, Kaiba found his voice.

"Jounouchi..." He whispered angrily in the blondes ear. "What the _hell_ were you doing?" Kaiba felt the blonde tense up at his words. After an interminable amount of time, Jou finally said something.

"I-I don't know, I'm..."

"You're alive... That's all that matters." Kaiba sighed and slowly released the blonde from his grasp. "I can't believe you... Honestly, do I need to hold you're hand when you cross the street?" Kaiba joked and brushed his hair back in attempt to calm down.

Jou stood there still, not wanting to move, and honestly, he wished Kaiba hadn't let go. Kaiba was warm, and the blonde felt oddly comfortable in his arms.

"Hey, we can cross now." Kaiba said cooly and jabbed Jounouchi in the side. Woken from his trance, the blonde uttered a small "oh" before following. His face still felt hot from embarassment, and he prayed kaiba wouldn't notice. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Mutt."

"Huh...?"

"...Don't hate me for prying but is there something on you're mind?"

The blonde was silent for awhile before slowly answering

"...I think... I'm..."

However, Jounouchi's words were lost in the wind.

"What was that?" Kaiba stopped and turned to stare at him.

"...Huh? Oh, nothing." Jou said quickly before running up ahead. He struggled to get his cheery demneaor back as he exclaimed;

"Hey! Kaiba! I can see you're house from here!"

Kaiba couldn't help but smile a bit after Jounouchi turned back around. The blonde's charm was, in a sense, irrestiable in a creepy, detestable way, Kaiba thought. Kaiba followed suit behind the blonde; the thought of what Jounouchi had said back then still nagged at the back of the brunette's mind, despite the fact he was desperately trying to shoo it away. He knew he'd have to find out the answers...one way, or another.

* * *

**A/N: =.= Geez, I finally finished it! And in like, one night to! Whooo! Alright, well, sorry for the late update and stuff, I apologize lots! Hopefully I'll be able to update more often now, so this story won't seem so dead :P And also, I think this chapter had some OCC-ness so, yeah I apologize =_= Until next time!**

**Also, since I have 3 other stories going on right now I set up a poll and whichever story gets the most votes (I'll set up a deadline later) So if you want this story to be it, then please take the time to vote! ^_^**


	6. Breaking Point

**A/N:** **Great news all! 1) Softball's starting back up...in the middle of winter (thank my stupid coach.) -.- ok, and now for the actually super special awesome news :D Christmas Break's coming soon! After this week (of course, I have to study for finals...what am I doing? I should be doing that now!) it all starts :D So hopefully, I can write more. ...um...R&R :D**

**Disclaim: Don't own YGO or anything like that. **

* * *

Both boys entered the house and were greeted by Mokuba. Kaiba said a quick greeting before rushing off to his room, leaving Jounouchi with his little brother.

"Are you staying the night again?" Mokuba asked excitedly, as he jumped up and down with enthusiasm. Jounouchi smiled a bit and shrugged.

"I dunno...can I?"

Mokuba nodded and ran off to tell his brother. The blonde sighed and collapsed on the nearest couch. It was comfy and soft. As he melted into the fabric, he wished he could never leave, whether it was at Kaiba's or not. Even though it had only been one day, Jou had already adjusted. He was fairly flexible, despite popular belief, and he'd truly already adapted to his current work life. He also enjoyed the Kaiba mansion. It was everything he'd dreamed of and more. He wished he could have a whole house... An apartment in the shittiest part of town was NOT what he dreamed of owning, like now. He sighed happily, just enjoying the feel of the couch. His moment of bliss was soon interrupted by Mokuba saying he convinced his brother to let Jou stay another night. A small bit of relief washed through Jounouchi. He truthfully didn't want to leave yet. There wasn't anybody waiting for him at home anyway, so what did it matter?

"You like video games, right Jou?"

"Hell yeah I do!" The blonde grinned and placed his hands on his hips. Who didn't love video games?

"Wanna go play? I got the new Call of Duty!"

Jounouchi's eyes lit up. It had been an eternity since he played Call of Duty...or any video game for that matter.

"Awright!"

Without warning, Mokuba grabbed the blonde's hand and forced him to go to the gaming room, where they literally sat there and played until Mokuba fell asleep. Jounouchi himself was on the verge of falling asleep. The clock read 2:30 am... He rolled off the couch he'd been laying on and crawled over to flip the PlayStation off. He let out a yawn and struggled to stand up. Mokuba was splayed out on the couch, snoring lightly, his controller still in hand. The blonde smiled and stumbled over to the sleeping boy. He gently removed the controller from the boys grasp and set it over by the gaming system.

"Ehem..."

Jounouchi jumped at the sound of the voice. He turned to the door frame to see Kaiba leaning against it, watching his every move.

"What?" Jou whispered as loudly as a classifed whisper could go. Kaiba sighed.

"Nothing..." The brunette answered simply and walked into the dimly lit room. He shut off the TV Jou had neglected to turn off and placed a blanket over his sleeping brother. Mokuba murmured something and clutched the blanket tightly between his fingers before turning over on his side. Kaiba cracked a smile.

"He can fall asleep practically anywhere..."

It wasn't hard for Jounouchi to believe. The blonde stretched and walked over to the door frame.

"I'm hungry..." he moaned before waltzing into the kitchen. He heard Kaiba sigh and the blonde knew he was going to be followed. As Jou ravaged the cabinets, Kaiba sat at his table and watched him. After a moment, the blonde grabbed a box of Goldfish and sat down across from the cold CEO.

"...What did you mean earlier?" Kaiba asked as the blonde stuffed his face. Jounouchi shoved a handful of the fish shaped crackers in his mouth.

"Huh? What're ya talkin' 'bout?" Jou asked, spraying Goldfish crumbs everywhere. Kaiba grimaced as Jou apologized and shoved the crumbs off the table.

"...About...your home life."

The blonde ceased his eating and stared at the table. Kaiba waited patiently. He was determined. Jou didn't look like he wanted to answer. All the happiness in his face had long faded. It was like his true feelings all a long had been unearthed. It took him a long while to say anything...

During this silence, Jou was debating. Could he trust Kaiba? Kaiba didn't seem like a gossipy bitch... In fact, it was pretty obvious he wasn't. Outside of Yugi's group, Jounouchi wondered if Kaiba even had an 'friends'. He didn't think so...

The blonde felt there was a weight on his chest. A pressure, constantly there, even when he wasn't thinking about it. It just kept pushing, and squeezing all the happiness out of him. The only cure was talking... While Honda and Yugi were great friends...they listened...they sympathized...but...they didn't know what to do. All they did was feel bad. And Jounouchi didn't like making his friends feel that way. So, lately, he'd been bottling it up. It worked well enough, minus the few major breakdowns he had here and there. It was nothing he couldn't handle...but...a little relief...it never hurt anyone.

Jounouchi looked up at Kaiba briefly, before averting his eyes back to his lap. He took a deep breath...before speaking.

"...It's just, my old man. He don't care about me. I don't even think he knows I exist anymore. And it pisses me off. I do everything for him, and all I get in return is shit." He mumbled, a scowl stretching across his face. "I feel so, alone... Friend "love" can only do so much...I want to feel family love...I guess that's why I favor Shizuka so much..." Jou didn't look up. He assumed Kaiba was still listening. The thought that Kaiba could probably careless about any of this crossed his mind... He did his best to ignore it. He wanted to believe someone else...cared.

When Jou didn't say anything else, Kaiba felt it was his turn to speak.

"_Jounouchi_, if he's that much of a bastard, then, why even bother?"

This struck Jou by surprise. It wasn't like he hadn't thought of this himself. He had. But even then, he had no answer...

"...Because...I just...hell, I dunno..."

Kaiba sighed, not really knowing what else to say. The blonde looked on the verge of tears.

"It's just, all this stuff keeps happening, and it's piling up, more and more, and...I'm afraid if anymore falls I'm going to fall with it. I...I can't deal with it all!"

His hands slid up and covered his face. He wasn't going to cry. This wasn't supposed to happen. These emotions...they shouldn't show...

Kaiba stood up, and pushed in his chair. He walked over to Jounouchi, not giving a damn what he was going to say about this, and placed a hand on the blonde's shaking shoulder.

"There are...others...who care about you, you know. While it might not satisfy you, it is there. And some, is better than none."

The blonde looked up at the CEO in astonishment, but Kaiba didn't meet his eyes.

"I'm going to bed. Make sure to clean up you're mess when you're done."

The hand left Jou's shoulder as the brunette pulled away and walked up the stairs to his room. Jou wiped away the tears that had formed and looked down at the table. Why was his heart beating so fast? He felt bad...He didn't get to apologize for breaking down like that. He was sure he embarrassed Kaiba more than himself, if that was even possible. Had he truly cared? Jounouchi wasn't sure. A million other questions swam around in that head of his, but what Jou found to be the oddest question of all...

_Why did he wish Kaiba would've stayed?  
_

The blonde wouldn't lie, he knew he'd been feeling _something _other than hatred towards the brunette for awhile now, even before the whole debt ordeal. It was...an undescribable, unnameable feeling, that Jou himself didn't quite understand. He felt at ease when the brunette was around, even when they were bickering. He couldn't help but wonder...

_Does Kaiba feel the same way?_

Only time could tell...He realized sourly. And time sure knew how to take its time.

* * *

**A/n: ..short chapter, I know. Anyway, I plan on wrapping this story up soon (I don't really like it as much as I did, and I have others in mind...) Also, I'm soon going to be setting up a poll that will decide which story I finish first, so if you want this one to be picked, please vote ^^ Review? :D**


	7. Feelings

**Jess: ...Wow...-scratches head sheepishly- I feel...awful. 2 months? Really? For one little update Jess? -bangs head on desk- I'm very sorry all, and I appreciate all of those who're still with this story. =A= Geez... I need to get outta this slump. If it wasn't for Megan, this probably wouldn't have been updated... -shakes head and walks off, mumbling gibberish-**

**Kaiba: You're just going to leave? No disclaimer? Nothing else? (Sees his opportunity to finally do disclaimer)**

**Jou: I got dis! She don't own nothin'. :D**

**Kaiba: ... **

* * *

A few months passed since that night. Jou returned to his home, but still met with Kaiba on a regular basis. Things had leveled out between the two, in this time. Jou's father barely seemed to come around anymore, so it was like Jou had the whole place to himself. He took this as an opportunity to clean the place up. God knows it needed it. While Kaiba would never admit it out loud, he had grown a bit lonesome after the blonde left his house, but he had learned to cope.

"And so den I said-" the blonde continued to ramble as he and Kaiba walked home from school. Kaiba nodded at the appropriate times, and murmured agreements when he felt was needed (despite the fact he wasn't really listening in the first place).

"Hey! Kaiba? Earth to Kaiba?" Jounouchi pressed, waving a hand in front of the CEO's face. Kaiba blinked as he was shaken from his thoughts.

"What? Oh, sorry," he apologized quickly, and continued to walk. Jou gave him an odd look before shrugging and following.

"So...Kaiba?" Jou asked out of the blue. The brunette glanced down at the blonde, as if waiting for what ever else he was going to say. "...When exactly will my debt be cleared? I mean, it's been about 3 months, ain't it?"

Kaiba paused his walking. He hadn't really thought about the whole debt thing in a long time... In fact, to be honest, it had slipped his mind all together. He'd began to think of all this as a routine, not a job.

"I mean, I haven't really done nothin... You didn't want me workin' at Kaiba Corp. no more, so I mean..." The blonde continued sheepishly, as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. Kaiba looked up at the sky for what felt like the longest time. After all this time, was Jou only sticking to him, because of some stupid debt? The thought hadn't occurred to Kaiba until now.

Of course he was. Why else would he? And besides that, what did Kaiba care? It wasn't like he actually cared...

Then why did he feel something inside him broke?

Shaking off the empty feeling, the brunette turned to face the blonde and sighed.

"I..."

_"Just say it Kaiba...Just tell him you don't need him anymore. Everything will be so much easier. You'll be free! So will he!"_

"...I..."

_"C'mon! What are you waiting for? The quicker he's gone, the more time you'll have to yourself again! You don't need him! You don't need anyone!"_

Kaiba growled as his thoughts battled it out.

"I...I'm afraid it's...not yet...settled," He said in an almost uneasy tone. Jou's face dropped from shock.

"What?"

Kaiba cleared his throat in a business like manner.

"Yes, you see, given the total amount of money you owe, and the amount of work you've done, or should I _say _haven't done... You're still quite behind,"

"Well whaddya want me to do? I mean, c'mon Kaiba! Give me a break here!" The blonde shouted, throwing his hands into the air exasperated. Kaiba sighed peevishly.

"I'll only hold you another month...then, you're free,"

Jou fist pumped and smiled.

"One more month...Heh...I bet you'll miss havin' me around," Jou said lightly as he began to walk again. Kaiba, however, didn't move. The blonde didn't know it, but he was right. The CEO had grown fond of the company offered by the boy. Letting him go...would be no easy feat.

"Hurry up slow poke. I wanna get home before dark!" Jou called over his shoulder. Kaiba began a brisk walk, in order to catch up to the teen in front of him. It wasn't long before they reached the Kaiba mansion. At the sight of his brother, Mokuba came running out of the house and in to his brothers arms.

"Nii-sama!" The boy cried out happily, hugging his older brother.

"Hello, Mokuba," Kaiba uttered kindly. He patted the boy's head. Mokuba looked up to see Jou standing close behind.

"Jou-kun!" Mokuba called after the blonde as he started walking away. Jou looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Hey there,"

Mokuba ran over to him and gave him a big smile.

"Jou-kun! Could you spend the night? I haven't seen you in awhile!" the boy complained. Jou smiled and ruffled the boys raven hair.

"Yeah, it has been awhile hasn't it? But ya see..." His voice trailed off as he got a glance of Mokuba's puppy dog eyes. They stood there for the longest time, eyes engaged in some kind of odd staring contest...when finally Jou gave in.

"Fine, fine, geez, and you call _me_ a dog..." Jou smirked. "You mind, Kaiba?"

The CEO did his best to act like he didn't care. With a small shrug and an uttered "whatever", the brunette turned on his heels and began to walk towards his mansion. It had been awhile since Jou had even been to the mansion. This was the first time in weeks the blonde had actually accompanied Kaiba home. He'd been so occupied with cleaning up his place, the thought hadn't even occurred to him. The best part of all was he was turning 18 in another 4 months, so then the place really could be his.

As for Kaiba, he wasn't sure how to act anymore. Just thinking of Jou leaving him...it made him sad. It would be lonely. A harsh, yet playful slap on the back jolted the CEO out of his thoughts.

"C'mon Kaiba, you're so slow," Jou teased again, stepping out in front of the brunette. Kaiba growled and pushed him out of the way. Jou laughed and went right back to doing it.

"That was mean of ya Kaiba, that was mean,"

Kaiba smirked with a shrug.

"Whatever you say mutt, whatever you say..."

~o~

It was already about ten o'clock and Mokuba was already asleep. Kaiba, being the loving brother he was, carried the boy to his room and tucked him in, much like he had done previously. In the distance, the sound of small claps of thunder could be heard. Kaiba chuckled, once he was outside of Mokuba's room. That's what it felt like...right now. These feelings...they were like a tempest. Tossing and turning about inside of him. Chaos and disarray. Confusion...confusion... Shaking his head, as if to rid himself of the thoughts, Kaiba walked back downstairs.

He found Jou lying on the couch, his eyes half-lidded as he was on the brink of sleep. He watched the drowsy blonde work to stay awake, as the flipped through the channels on the T.V. After many clicks of that button, the boy became frustrated and threw the remote down (after turning the T.V. off, of course).

"There's all those damn channels and still, nothing to watch," he complained openly. The blonde crossed his arms, his face twisted into a small frown. Kaiba entered the room. It was illuminated only by the small lamp that rested on a coffee table adjacent to the couch. Jou moved his feet and then patted the now vacant area. Kaiba sighed and sat down. He let his head lay back as he melted into a calm, relaxed state.

"...You look tired," Jou smiled as he yawned. Kaiba turned to look at the blonde.

"I could say the same to you," he joked. Jounouchi rolled his eyes and playfully punched the brunette's arm. The boy was obviously becoming drowsier by the second.

"Jounouchi, it's only 10, how're you already tired?" Kaiba questioned him. Jou gave him a half-hearted shrug. The blonde yawned and stretched in unison. The blonde's eyes shut and his head slowly tilted sideways. The blonde's head landed softly on Kaiba's shoulder. The brunette stiffened at contact. Jou's breathing deepened and evened out, signaling he really was asleep. Kaiba shifted a little in his seat and contemplated his options. He could either:

A) Wake the blonde up.

B) Shrug him off.

C) ...Just sit there until he could think of something good.

...Kaiba felt his safest and best option at the time, was C. Sighing, the brunette leaned his head back once more, his eyes flickering shut. The position was uncomfortable, yet comfortable...for some odd reason. Kaiba opened one eye in order to gaze down at the sleeping teen. As if it were involuntary, Kaiba's hand stroked the blonde's hair, before he even realized what he was doing. He jolted the hand back immediately after, like Jou's golden locks were venomous cobras.

Kaiba shifted again. He struggled to lie down, without waking the blonde. Unfortunately for him, it was easier said than done. After much of a hassle, the brunette was finally lying down, but the blonde was literally half on top of him. Kaiba's arms were wrapped comfortably around the teen, and also helped to keep him from slipping off the couch.

"Mmph..." Jou murmured. He looked up drowsily, shaking his tired head. Kaiba stiffened again. He hadn't expected the teen to wake up. However, that wasn't entirely the case. While he looked awake, the boy was still far from consciousness. He lay his head back down and nuzzled the brunette's chest before closing his eyes once more. Kaiba felt his face heat up. Was he just...nuzzled? He shook his head and sighed soundlessly. This was going to be a long night...

* * *

**Jess: phew. **

**Kaiba: ...you're going to leave it...there?**

**Jess: yeah sure, why not? :3**

**Kaiba: I hate you.**

**Jess: love ya to, anyway people, I PROMISE I'll do better on updating! D: Help remind my lazy arse to get moving by reviews and stuff :D and again, thanks to all who're still with me, or just joining in following me story ^w^**

**Kaiba: =_=||||**


	8. After Math?

**Jess: :D I updated! It was very hard, I shall have you all know. (Megan *cough cough*)**

**Kaiba: e_e and why's that?**

**Jess: I kept getting distracted…I swear, I have a one-track mind. =_=" I'll be typing…then I get a song stuck in my head (which leads to 50 other songs…until I pick one) then…I'm curious as to what's on TV. Oh look, Community :D The Office :D Two and a Half Men :D How I Met You-**

**Kaiba: we get it =_= no one cares. On with the story.**

**Jess: ._." Geez…so mean.**

* * *

Kaiba continued to stare at the ceiling the rest of the night. He half hoped the blonde would roll off him in the middle of the night, while the other half bid him to stay…

As it turns out, the blonde remained where he lay; right on top of Kaiba. As awkward as it was, Kaiba did somewhat enjoy the feeling of having the blonde so close to him. He didn't want to admit it, but the feeling still lingered, no matter how hard he tired to push it away. Time seemed to pass quite slowly, but not really in a bad way. This wasn't entirely a bad thing, though, Kaiba realized. It gave him time to think, something he hadn't really done in awhile. How did he truly feel about Jounouchi? These past three months had been enjoyable to say in the least. He also had...some...feelings for the blonde. Although, he still wasn't sure what to classify those feelings as...

Kaiba hadn't realized he'd stayed up practically the whole night until light began to shine through the curtains and annoying birds began to chirp. Kaiba, who by now was past exhausted, sighed heavily. A little to heavily…

The blonde in front of him began to stir. Kaiba's eyes widened momentarily before they shut on instinct. He could at least pretend to sleep…it would make everything less…awkward….right?

The blonde looked up lazily and rubbed his sleepy eyes. He examined his surroundings in an almost dazed state. He even looked down at this new "pillow" and blew it off like it was nothing. It was obvious he wasn't really awake. The blonde's head fell back onto Kaiba's chest and he yawned obnoxiously loud before drifting back off into sleep.

Kaiba let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and reached his hand up to rub his temples. This was so damn frustrating…

Kaiba shifted lightly, trying to make himself more comfortable. He shut his eyes after another sigh, and he too, fell into a light sleep.

~o~

It was past twelve and his Nii-sama still wasn't up yet. That worried Mokuba to some degree, seeing how his brother usually rose at about four in the morning (three on good days). As much as he wanted to check on him, the raven haired kid knew better. His brother was the definition of "nightmare" upon awakening…and to be quite frank, Mokuba didn't want to be the one to do it. So, the young boy went about his business, trying to ignore the curiosity that was eating away at him with every second that passed. Every once in awhile, he'd pass by the half closed door and hear the soft sounds of breathing. He did his best to just brush off the urge to pry and instead decided to do something more productive. Like play video games in his room. Ahh, yes, life was sweet.

~o~

Bird continued to twitter and tweet outside. However, it had begun to grow dark again outside. The sky turned overcast as the clouds from that distant storm began to settle. It was about two o'clock… and about time Jou woke up. The honey eyed teen shook his head lazily as the sound of pattering rain resonated throughout the room. He looked up, confused again. Where was he…? This wasn't his apartment. It was to nice…Wait…this…is Kaiba's house…

The blonde blinked. That was surprising. But what he found even more surprising was who he was on top of.

"**Holy shit!**" he yelled a bit louder than intended as he literally jumped off of Kaiba and landed on the floor. The brunette muttered something incoherent and turned over on his side, burying his face in the couch along the way. Jou sat sloppily on the floor by the couch where he had landed, his breathing heavy and uneven. His eyes were now wide awake and his cheeks flushed to the brightest red.

"I…K-Kaiba…I…On….top….sleep….what….the…"The blonde gasped in between breaths. Jounouchi placed a hand over his racing heart in attempt to calm the beating down. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths as he so desperately tried to remember what had happened last night. He honestly couldn't remember.

Well…at least they were both still clothed. That was a definite plus (and relief).

After he calmed down a bit, the honey eyed teen stood clumsily, his eyes still on the sleeping Kaiba. If he could just get out the door without waking the sleeping CEO up…then he'd be home free.

"Jou-kun? Nii-sama?" Mokuba asked, peeking his head curiously through the door. Jou froze in place, whereas Kaiba's eyes shot open at the sound of his brother's voice. "I heard screaming and…" Mokuba trailed off as he gave both boys incredulous looks. Jou resisted the urge to face palm while Kaiba sat up, propping his head up with his arm.

"Good morning Mokuba…Jounouchi,"

The way the brunette had said Jou's name sent shivers down his spine. There was a long, awkward silence, in which the only thing Jou seemed to be able to concentrate on was the sound of rain, which was moving in a steady crescendo. Jou made quick eye contact with the brunette before quickly averting his eyes elsewhere, his face already flushing red again.

"I…I gotta go,"

Before anyone could stop him, the blonde rushed out the door, not bothering to grab anything he was leaving behind. He ran out into the rain.

* * *

**Jess: Kay...So that was short. And I promise the next chapter WILL be longer :O I just like cliffhangers.**

**Kaiba: -resisting urge to kill-**

**Jess: I'll update soon ;D Sanks to all who are still reading/reviewing! It means lots :D**


	9. Caught in the Rain

**Jess: Hello everyone… ^^" I'm back for another chapter :D **

**Disclaimer: Hmm...I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh…surprised? I know right?**

**By the way, I apologize in advance about how much this chapter kinda skips around from one chara to the other…so um…bare with me? Okay? :3**

**AN:October 21...er...22,11: Whew. I finished editing. GO ME! I kinda bulled my way through this chapter...so I'm sure there's some mistakes still. Sorry. Well...Now I can finish up on that last chapter I suppose :)**

* * *

He was stupid. He knew he was stupid. And he knew couldn't help that now.

"_I shouldn't have runaway…"_

"_Running won't solve anything…"_

"_All you're doing is running from feelings…"_

"_You can't hide forever…"_

Jounouchi bit his bottom lip and buried his face in his hands. People passing gave him odd looks. Seeing a seemingly depressed teenage boy sitting on a park bench in the rain was a bit odd. Yes…the blonde had escaped to the place this had all started. The familiar park bench that he had sat on only a few short months ago… His hands fell away from his face and stroked the paint peeled bench seat. The rain continued to pour and gave no sign of letting up anytime soon. Joey sighed and lay back. What was wrong with him…? Why was his heart beating so fast? The overcast clouds churned above him as the storm grew worse. The sky darkened as day passed on to night; the once crowd filled streets were now vacant and empty. Jounouchi shut his eyes with a sigh. How did things turn out to be like this…? Why had he been on top of his…his rival? Jou merely blushed at the thought. He shook his head, sending raindrops flying in every which direction.

"_Why?"_ he thought angrily, "_why? …And how…how did this…"_

Jou sighed angrily and buried his face once more in his hands. He couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or angry. A crack of thunder from overhead made the blonde jump in surprise. He shook his head again with yet another sigh.

"_How…can I face Kaiba again…after all that…running away…no explanation or anything…I…dammit…_" the blonde cursed to himself. What if it was all a misunderstanding? …He really didn't want to give up talking to Kaiba… He'd grown to…enjoy…his rival's company. His rival…no…his…friend? Or was he something more…?

Jou didn't know anymore. These feelings were just too damn confusing.

_"Well, look what the cat drug in. Little mutt gone stray again?"_

_"Can't the stray just go back to his cardboard box? Or his he forced to sleep in the rain?"_

_"Testing me? You think I wouldn't know how to work my own shower?"_

_"There are...others...who care about you, you know. While it might not satisfy you, it is there. And some, is better than none."_

"_Mutt."_

"_Stupid."_

"_Idiot!"_

"…_Jounouchi?"_

The blonde felt his face grow hot as Kaiba's voice rang through his head. Something wasn't right…why was it every time he-

"No…" Jou said out loud by mistake. His face had turned over eight shades of red as he mulled over the thought.

"Feeling something more…for Kaiba?"

The more he thought about it…the more it seemed to make sense. The blonde shook his head violently.

"N-No! I can't…"

While on the outside, he denied it, the inside accepted it, with much anticipation. Deep down he known…he'd known for awhile now… It just took him that long to realize it. Being stubborn always had been his weak point...

Soundlessly, the blonde stood up, the rain still beating down on him. He glanced back down at the old bench one last time, and with a small smile, he made his way silently out of the park, intent on going home. He needed to sort himself out…and figure it out the best way to approach the brunette… Or else these simple things were going to be made difficult.

~o~

"Nii-sama are you sure? The storm… it's starting to get-"

"Quiet Mokuba. I've told you I'm going to find him. That's that." Kaiba snapped as he pulled his white trench coat on. Mokuba gave him a worried look.

"But Nii-sama! Jou-kun's fine on his own! You know that he is…why not just wait and-"

"No…Mokuba." Kaiba paused all movement and seemed to steer off into deep thought. Mokuba sighed for the twentieth time in the last four minutes and shook his head.

"You care a lot for Jounouchi-kun, don't you Nii-sama?"

Barely visible color flushed to the brunettes cheeks.

"…I'll be back as soon as I can, Mokuba."

That being said, the CEO rushed out the door, his heart set on finding his lost puppy.

~o~

Jou walked briskly down the alleyway that was used as a short cut to his apartment.

"_Dammit…"_ The blonde cursed as the wind tossed his hair around his face. He held his hands up as a futile defense.

"I shoulda prepared more for this…" He muttered to himself. The chilly wind whipped through the alleyway, tossing papers and trash every which way (mostly at Jounouchi of course). The blonde trudged on, determined to make it back to the apartment. While the walk hadn't been that far, the Jou found himself more tired than usual. Nevertheless, he leaned against the alley wall in order to catch his breath and let his legs get a small rest. The blonde sneezed involuntarily and rubbed his cold nose on his jacket sleeve. This was going to be a longer walk than he had anticipated…

~o~

"Dammit, he's not here either…" Kaiba cursed as he looked upon the all too familiar park bench. Rain pelted against his black umbrella as the storm above raged on.

Kaiba cursed again. He didn't know where to look… He'd already tried the school, café's, the apartment (which was empty), and numerous other places the blonde might have wandered off to.

Another chilly breeze blew through, chilling Kaiba to the bone. Where ever Jounouchi was…Kaiba could only hope he was out of this weather. He decided he would try the apartment once more. He prayed the blonde was there.

~o~

He felt weak. He felt sickly. He felt the urge to sit. So he did.

Jou slumped weakly to the ground, his breathing increasing with every lungful of air. The air...it hurt to breath. He sneezed and sniffled again and hugged his jacket around him tighter as the chilly wind struck through him like a blade, and more rain pelted his face. He shivered involuntarily and blinked away the gathered raindrops on his eyelids. Or maybe those were tears…the blonde couldn't really tell anymore. The teen rubbed his goose bumped skin weakly as he stared up at the dark and cloudy sky. How much longer would this tempest last? How much longer would this go on? How much longer would Jou forced to be cold, in the dark, and alone…? How much longer until he could get his stormy emotions figured out…and just accept them for what they are…? How much longer would he have to wait…in order to get an answer to these questions…?

How long…until he achieved his rainbow?

If it weren't for feeling bad, Jou would have laughed sourly to himself. A guy like him didn't deserve that kind of happiness…

The wind shifted and the salvo of rain continued from another direction. Jou cursed and buried his face in his knees, which were brought up to his chest. He willed himself to find inner strength. He needed to get up and move...but his body wouldn't allow it. It was to weakened and sickly to move. His head and heart were pounding, and inside he was just an emotional wreck. Piece by piece he was slipping…falling…breaking… And he knew it… He just didn't know how to stop it. The blonde sneezed again, which was soon followed by a weak cough. He groaned and cursed at his stupidity. If he didn't feel like he was going to lose consciousness, he would have already been out of that stupid alleyway. The blonde found himself slipping in and out of a conscious state. Everything had seemed to slow down, every sound was magnified. Each rain drop seemed to pound against the ground. In the distance there were hurried footsteps…and…a voice. An almost scared voice... An almost scared voice…that was calling his name…

"Jounouchi!"

The blonde could barely roll his head up to look at the panting CEO.

"K-Kai…"

And then Jounouchi slipped away, and into a cataleptic state… leaving Kaiba to worry.

~o~

"Jounouchi? Jounouchi?" Kaiba yelled as he shook the unconscious blonde back and forth. Cursing, Kaiba felt Jou's forehead.

"You're blistering hot, you idiot… Why did you stay out in the damn rain for so long…?" Kaiba complained to himself. He folded his umbrella back up and hooked it onto his belt under the giant jacket he wore. Then, he lifted Jou's limp body with ease, and with a sigh, he said.

"Come on Jounouchi… Let's get you somewhere dry...…"

The storm continued out as Kaiba made his way back to the mansion (which wasn't very far), Jou half-slung over his shoulder. However, the more steps he took, the more the rain seemed to turn into a drizzle. It was as if as he calmed down, so did the storm. Kaiba shook the rain drops from his hair as he walked up the stairs to his mansion moments later. Mokuba greeted him at the door, as if he was waiting there the whole time.

"Nii-sa…" Mokuba began to say before laying eyes on Jou. "Jou-kun! I-is he alright, Nii-sama?"

Kaiba did a slight nod before carrying Jounouchi up the stairs.

"I'm taking him up to my room… He'll be staying there until he recovers,"

Mokuba nodded. "I'll go get a wash cloth or something!" The boy called out as he raced into the bathroom, trying his best to be helpful. Kaiba continued up to his room and laid Jou's unconscious body on the bed. His hand brushed some of the locks from the others face as the blonde continued to breath deeply and evenly.

"Jounouchi…you can be such an idiot…But I guess…that's why... I-"

"Nii-sama! I got the rag!" Mokuba interrupted as he ran into the room full speed, a cold wet rag in hand. A startled Kaiba looked at his brother and gave him a small smile.

"Yes…Thank you…Mokuba."

* * *

**Jess: WHEW what a drag =A=" I think it was too rushed…dammit –bangs head- that means editing later...'cause once i reread this when I'm NOT dead tired...I'll hate myself...until i fix it.**

**OH! and everyone should go and vote on the poll featured on my profile! :D It'll help me decide which story I should post/write next!**

**anyway, thanks to all who're, ya know, still readin' and reviewin' :D This story only has 1 or 2 more chapters left! So please stick with me until then! Also, after this story is finished, I intend to work on some new ones. Please vote on my poll (on my profile) and make your choice on what I should write next :D**

**=_= sorry for the late update... this was scheduled to be out LAST saturday...but I got sick. I blame Jou. and..um..yeah, other stuff happened. nsjghjskbgskg... -.-**


	10. By Your Side

**A/N: **I am a terrible updater, and I apologize. But, the long wait is over. I'm endin' this S.O.B. :) I'm not sure if I'll be writing any other puppyshipping/yugioh pairings after this is done...Unless I can somehow get myself back into this fandom (Blame Higurashi, Shiki, and 07-Ghost...)

So, to all the people who have stuck through this story to see the end, thank you. To those who have reviewed, favorited, and alerted this story, thank you. It means a lot to me :) Seeing as how I started this story awhile back and it needed revision, I did just that. I added in, took out, and fixed some errors in the previous chapters. I can see how much I've improved as a writer as I progressed through this story, and even after.

Anyway, I can't thank you all enough, and I'll now stop with this boring AN. Ciao~!

* * *

_It was cold. Everything was cold. Jounouchi wrapped his arms around himself in hopes to gain some warmth. He received none. Puzzled, he held out his arms and stared. He touched his arm and shivered. It was cold. _

_He was alone. Alone in a room he did not recognize. It was an empty room... Four simple walls of white plaster closed him in. Yet, strangely enough, he felt there was enough room. In fact, it felt like there was too much room...too empty... Much too empty. He wanted to call out. He wanted some form of comfort. He didn't want to be alone._

_He wanted warmth. _

_He turned in place, and looked around. Nothing. No one. He was alone. He bit his lip and held himself again. _

_"Jounouchi."_

_The blonde jumped at the sound of someone's voice. The teen turned to see four wooden chairs, all lined up against the wall in a perfect row. Sitting in the chair on the far left, was none other than Kaiba. He had his legs and arms crossed, and a serious expression on his face. Much like normal._

_"Kaiba?" Jounouchi called out. He took a few steps forward, half expecting for Kaiba to disappear. When he didn't, a flood of relief washed over Jounouchi. Kaiba patted the seat next to him. Jounouchi sat down thoroughly confused by all of this._

_"Kaiba, what's going on?"_

_Kaiba didn't look at him. He kept his gaze straight ahead, like he was watching something in the distance._

_"Kaiba?"_

_There was a sudden roll of thunder that made Jou jump. The rooms color began to darken into a mixture grey hues. The sound of falling rain followed shortly after._

_"I'm waiting." Kaiba answered him simply, still not looking at him._

_"...Waiting?" Jou asked, confused. "For what?" No reply. "Kaiba? And what're you lookin' at?" Jou demanded. He followed Kaiba's eyes to the wall opposite of him. The more he stared at it, the more he began to see images...flashbacks..._

_Memories._

_"Hey...that's...that's Duelist Kingdom..." He breathed, barely audible. He chuckled slightly. "It feels like...forever ago..."_

_He sat there in silence, Kaiba by his side, and watched as events of his life flashed before his eyes. His friends...his family before it became so jaded... All of the fun he had... _

_But even then he felt empty._

_Events of recent time passed by him. There was, on that park bench. There was Kaiba, lifting him when he was at the lowest of the low... The past three months flew. And here he was._

_"I'm waiting..." Kaiba repeated again, still looking ahead. "And I'm not the only one..."_

_Jounouchi stared at him. What did he mean...?_

_"Nii-san,"_

_Jouncouchi turned to his right to see his sister smiling back at him._

_"How are you, Nii-san?"_

_"...Shizuka..." He murmured in a hushed tone. He pulled her close to him and closed his eyes. _

_She was warm._

_"Jounouchi-kun!"_

_Jou opened his eyes to see Yugi next to Shizuka. He was smiling as always. Jou could even make out what seemed to be a spector resembling Yami hovering beside him. _

_"Hey, Yug." Jou smiled, tears welling in his eyes. He didn't know why...but he had to the urge to cry. It was like, he felt like he was gaining something from all this. He laughed dryly as Shizuka pulled away with a smile._

_"I love you, Nii-san."_

_Jounouchi smiled._

_"I love you to, Shizuka."_

_He wiped the moisture out of his eyes and turned back to Kaiba, whose eyes were still looking straight ahead._

_"You were never alone, Jounouchi. We were here. All of us. Look around."_

_Jou did as he was told. Like they were there all along, he noticed more chairs lined the walls. They went all the way around the tiny room. Only, it wasn't so tiny anymore. It seemed to have increased, without Jou noticing. Instead of four chairs lining a wall, eight lined it. Honda, Mai, Anzu, and Ryou were all seated, smiling at him._

_"Jounouchi," They said in unison. Jou watched as all the other seats were filled. The rain that had been present before was all but another memory. The dark grey had faded into happier colors, colorful hues that were easy on the eyes._

_"We're all waiting, Jounouchi. We're all waiting to be accepted into your heart." Kaiba told him, his cold eyes still staring ahead. "We're here for you. We always have been. And we'll never leave."_

_A lump rose in Jounouchi's throat as guilt tugged at his heart. The feeling only worsened when Kaiba looked at him. Cold cobalt met warm honey as Kaiba said,_

_"I'll be by your side, wherever you go." He told him simply. "I promise you. You don't have to feel alone anymore."_

_A tear streamed down the others cheek before he could stop it. I laughed a little and wiped it away with his sleeve._

_"I...I don't know why I-" Jou started to say. That was before Kaiba pulled him into a warm hug. Jou gasped in surprise due to the sudden embrace. His shaking hands wrapped around Kaiba's back and he gripped the fabric as he fought the urge to break down._

_He didn't get the chance._

_"...It's time for you to wake now."_

* * *

Jounouchi sat up with a start. His breathing heavy and his body was broke out in a cold sweat. He felt hot and dizzy.

"You're up?"

Jounouchi turned to see Kaiba, sitting in a wooden chair by his bed. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. The bags under his eyes indicated it quite clearly. Jounouchi was speechless.

"How are you feeling? That was a stupid move, you know." Kaiba muttered as he stood. He leaned over Jounouchi and held a hand out to feel the others head.

Before Jounouchi knew what he was doing he reached out and grabbed the the CEO and pulled him in for a warm embrace.

"...I...I'm sorry..." Was all he could say. "I'm so sorry..."

His hands gripped the fabric as he struggled to find what he wanted to say. Kaiba was thoroughly surprised by the suddenness of it all.

"Jounouchi...are you okay?" He asked hesitantly. When he heard Jou sniffle and felt his shoulders shake, he figured it was now or never to express how he felt as well.

Kaiba hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other. He closed his eyes and rested his head on Jou's shoulder. It felt good, to be like this. Like, this was what he needed all along. Jou stopped shaking and was just relishing the embrace.

"I'm sorry..."

"...Why do you keep apologizing?" Kaiba asked, confused by it all.

"I've...I've been so...stupid." Jou sighed as his hands fell away from Kaiba's back. He was released from the embrace. He tugged at the bed sheets nervously. It was now or never. "Kaiba, I...I really like you. A lot. And, I don't...I mean, I DO care, but, my feelings, they, they won't change, no matter what you think...so-"

Impulse took over Kaiba. He could careless about anything else right now. All that was on his mind right now was what was in front of him. And that was opportunity. He moved in close and planted a soft kiss on Jounouchi's cheek. The blonde's face was already flushed from fever, but it grew redder still.

"K-Kaiba you-"

"I'm here for you...Jounouchi. I always have been..."

Jounouchi smiled a little. Kaiba had actually come to terms with liking Jounouchi that night Jou fell asleep on him. There was no denying it. But he never imagined those feelings would be returned...

"How are you feeling...?" Kaiba asked, changing the subject awkwardly.

"Okay..." Jou answered simply. He was deep in thought. The thing before...the room...the people...his heart...Kaiba... Was that his rainbow? He believed it to be true... He couldn't imagine it being anything better.

And all this time, he was too worried about the rainbow not being worth the rain...

He wouldn't fight the hands that were holding him any longer. No more would he deny the people wanting to comfort him.

No longer would he be so opposed to love.

He welcomed the feeling... He wanted the feeling...He longed for it...and he was receiving it. It couldn't have made him feel happier.

He felt a hand slide on top of his. He looked down to see Kaiba's hand covering his. It was warm... Kaiba was warm.

He let his head fall forward and land on Kaiba's shoulder. He wanted to stay like that forever. Kaiba's arms wrapped around him comfortably and held him close. It was so warm...

The storm clouds were cleared. The tempest, vanished. Those feelings were all replaced with colorful hues.

It wasn't as impossible as Jounouchi thought, to achieve his rainbow.

Because sometimes, the rainbow turns out to be worth the rain.


End file.
